The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and several national organizations today announced a public health initiative to raise awareness about recent trends in the misuse and abuse of prescription drugs in the United States. The initiative seeks to inform the public, physicians, pharmacists, and others about the misuse and abuse of medications and promote additional research on the subject. "While prescription drugs can relieve a variety of medical problems and improve the lives of millions of Americans, they can be dangerous, addicting and even deadly when used non-medically, " said NIDA Director Dr. Alan I. Leshner. "An estimated four million people aged 12 or over used sedatives, stimulants, tranquilizers or opioids for non-medical reasons in 1999."
Joining with NIDA are AARP, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Pharmaceutical Association, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, the National Community Pharmacists Association, the National Council on Patient Information and Education, and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.
At a news conference in Washington, DC, Dr. Leshner said, " The reports of increasing misuse of prescription drugs in some segments of the population older adults, adolescents, and women are particularly worrisome because of their numbers and because those numbers appear to be increasing rapidly."
Research suggests that more than 17 percent of adults over 60 may be affected by prescription drug abuse. New prescription drug abuse has dramatically increased among young people between 12-25 years old and in a 1999 survey, 12-14 year olds named psychotherapeutics, such as painkillers, sedatives, and stimulants, as some of their more frequently used drugs. Overall, men and women use prescription drugs non-medically in equal numbers. However, some studies indicate that women may be more likely to misuse narcotics and anti-anxiety drugs, in part because women are two to thre
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Contact: Michelle Muth
mm488g@nih.gov
301-594-6141
NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse
9-Apr-2001