So how prevalent are pill addictions in the United States? Very, and unfortunately, pill addiction is still something that is not taken as seriously as other drug addictions. It should be, however, as the numbers prove that pill addiction is nothing short of a serious problem. The statistics for prescription pill abuse and addiction are astounding, and show that no one, no matter age, race, nor income is immune to prescription pill abuse.
52 million people in the United States used some form of prescription drugs without a prescription or medical intent at some point. What is equally disturbing is that this number includes those twelve and up, meaning that a portion of this number is 12-18 year-olds. The effects prescription pills have on the body and mind are always damaging, but to those who have yet to fully develop, the effects can be much greater. The same goes for the elderly, and many doctors won't prescribe certain drugs like benzodiazepines to the elderly. Another surprising fact is that roughly six million have used prescription pills non-medically in the last month alone. While 52 million may sound like an insurmountable number that is full of one-time users, the fact that over six million have used prescription pills in the last month lends credence to the idea that this is a growing and serious problem in America. In fact, in 2010, the amount of people who reported abusing prescription pills was almost nine million. This could be due to the fact that prescription pills may be over prescribed. In that same year, enough painkillers were prescribed in the U.S. to medicate every adult every four hours for an entire month. Painkillers are the most abused drug in the U.S., with five of the nine million prescription pill abusers using painkillers.
A great deal of the danger in prescription pills lies in their ease of access. Over half of those who obtain the pills obtain them from a family member or friend, usually for free. Less than 20% obtain pills legally from their doctors, and even less buy them illegally. In fact, over 60% teens who used prescription pills said that the reason they abuse pills is because they are easy to acquire and are available everywhere, like a family member's medicine cabinet. Many also feel that they aren't as dangerous as “real” drugs like methamphetamine or cocaine, despite the fact that pills constitute a serious threat to the mind and body when abused. Most also claim that if caught with prescription pills, they can say they have a prescription to get away with abusing the drugs illegally. The dangers of these drugs are real, and because of the misconception that these drugs aren't as dangerous, more people use them and less people take them seriously. If we want less people using, abusing, or becoming addicted to prescription pills, we need to start taking them seriously.
Resources
http://www.california-drug-rehab.com/drug/prescription
http://www.samhsa.gov/data/NSDUH/2k11Results/NSDUHresults2011.htm
http://www.samhsa.gov/data/2k12/NSDUH115/sr115-nonmedical-use-pain-relievers.htm
https://www.utexas.edu/research/cswr/gcattc/documents/PrescriptionTrends_Web.pdf
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/prescription-drug-abuse-top-10-things-cdc-says-you-should-know/
