Effective Drug Rehab - Prescription Drug Addiction

Narconon Arrowhead drug rehab center for drug addiction and alcoholism

Prescription Drug Abuse

Prescription drug abuse - effective drug rehab Non-medical use of prescription drugs like Opioids, Central Nervous System (CNS) Depressants, and Stimulants can lead to abuse and addiction. The non-medical use of prescription drugs is a serious public health concern.While prescription drug abuse affects many Americans, some trends of particular concern can be seen among older adults, adolescents, and women.

How common is prescription drugs addiction ?

In 1999, an estimated 4 million people, about 2 percent of the population age 12 and older, were currently (use in past month) using prescription drugs non-medically. Of these, 2.6 million misused pain relievers, 1.3 million misused sedatives and tranquilizers, and 9 hundred-thousand misused stimulants.

National Household Survey on Drug Abuse research figures indicate that the sharpest increases in new users of prescription drugs for non-medical purposes occur in 12 to 17 and 18 to 25 year-olds. Among 12 to 14 year-olds, psychotherapeutics (e.g., pain killers, tranquilizers, sedatives, and stimulants) were reported to be one of two primary drugs used.

The Drug Abuse Warning Network, which collects data on drug-related hospital emergency room episodes, reported that mentions of hydrocodone as a cause for visiting an emergency room increased 37 percent among all age groups from 1997 to 1999. Also, mentions of clonazepam increased 102 percent since 1992.