Rate of Prescription Drug Abuse Among
Young Adults
A national survey released
in September finds 5.3 percent of young adults used prescription drugs for
non-medical purposes in the past month, similar to rates in the previous two
years. The survey found rates of teen drinking, including binge drinking, in
the past month were lower last year com-pared with 2002 and 2009.
Prescription drug abuse
rates among adults ages 18 to 25 was significantly lower last year than in
2009, when 6.4 percent of young adults used prescription drugs for non-medical
purposes, according to the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH),
conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA).
The report was released in
conjunction with the 24th annual National Recovery Month.
SAMHSA found 11.2 percent of Americans drove
under the influence of alcohol at least once last year, compared with 11.1
percent in 2011 and 14.2 percent in 2002. Approximately 9 percent of the
population—23.9 million Americans—12 years and older used illicit drugs in the
previous month.
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| Prescription Drug Abuse in the U.S. |
Marijuana is the most
commonly used illicit drug, the survey found, with 7.3 percent of Americans
saying they are current users. The number of people ages 12 and older who said
they used heroin in the past year increased from 373,000 in 2007, to 669,000 in
2012.
“These findings show that while we have made
progress in preventing some aspects of substance abuse we must redouble our
efforts to reduce and eliminate all forms of it throughout our nation,” SAM-HSA
Administrator Pamela S. Hyde said in a news release. “These statistics
represent real people, families and communities dealing with the devastating
consequences of abuse and addiction. We must strive to prevent further abuse
and provide the hope of treatment and recovery to all people needing help.”
Written By: Tina Stevens and the Join Together Staff
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