Prescription Drug Abuse

With more young people abusing prescription drugs than any illicit drug except marijuana, communities across the country are holding prescription take back events as part of their efforts to reduce youth access to these drugs and increase awareness about the dangers of prescription drug abuse.

The National Council on Patient Information and Education (NCPIE), along with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and representatives from 15 nationally recognized prevention, health professional and child advocacy organizations, are launching Maximizing Your Role as a Teen Influencer: What You Can Do to Help Prevent Teen Prescription Drug Abuse.

A new report by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) concluded that in more than 16 states, more people were killed by drugs than by auto accidents. The study, which was reported by the Associated Press, found that the majority of drug-related deaths were caused by the abuse of painkillers

A new White House analysis reveals that prescription drug abuse is become increasingly more problematic among females, with higher rates of prescription drug abuse among teenage girls, more emergency room visits among young women, and higher rates of treatment admissions for dependence on some prescription drugs among females. This runs counter to traditional drug use patterns, where males have typically exceeded females.

An op-ed penned by U.S. Senator Joseph Biden (D-DE), published in the Delaware State News on Sept. 29, warns parents about an often overlooked form of substance abuse: over-the-counter and prescription medicine abuse. In the op-ed, entitled "A Wake-Up Call to Parents," the lawmaker urges parents to talk to their kids about medicine abuse and to educate young people about the potentially dangerous and addictive nature of some of these drugs.

While there was a decline in the current use of prescription drug abuse among 12 to 17 year olds, there were increases in the rates of past year use of Ecstasy and LSD, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). The survey was released today by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) at a news conference in Washington, D.C.