Medicine Abuse
Overview
Prescription drug abuse is the nation's fastest-growing drug problem, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has classified prescription drug abuse as an epidemic.
Did you know that more than 6 million people ages 12 or older have abused a prescription drug and one in 10 youth ages 12 through 17, or 2,400,000 children, reports having intentionally abused cough medicine to get high?
According to the 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, considered the preeminent national study on teen substance abuse, prescription drug abuse has jumped 20 percent since 2002 among those ages 12 and older. Among those ages 12-17, prescription drug abuse increased 17 percent, jumping from 2.3 percent of youth in 2008 to 2.7 percent in 2009. In addition, the 2009 Monitoring the Future Survey showed that 5 percent of teens have abused an over-the-counter cough medicine to get high over the past year.