Youth in America have been using some type of illegal drug for generations. The type of drug used has varied over time and the amount of people using that drug has also varied over time however, use has never ceased completely. Studies conducted of teens and pre-teens across the country have shown the drastic increase in numbers of adolescents engaging in these types of abuse that has occurred over the years.
The abuse of drugs of all different types is at an all-time high. However, in recent times, the use of prescription painkillers in an abusive manner is increasing drastically among children. This use has been found to cause problems such as overdose, drowsiness, trouble breathing, decreased brain function, slowed heart rate and respiration and even effects such as paranoia and seizures. The use of these drugs can cause all of these in the short term and even the long term.
The Increase of Abuse of Prescription Painkillers
Prescription painkillers have been known to cause many different types of problems among the people that abuses them and these types of problems can be even worse among children. In fact, it has been found that more accidental deaths occur as a result of overdose of prescriptions than overdose from most drugs. This has occurred for many different reasons however the main one seems to be the increase in prescriptions granted for painkillers. Because the painkillers are now so much more available and so few people think to lock them up, it has proven very difficult for anyone to keep youths in America from abusing them.
The current methods that are being used have not proven to work against this type of abuse and children have continued to use and abuse painkillers at record highs. The current rate is 40% higher than the highest level ever measured in any generation. The rate of use of these types of drugs in youths is second in rank only to the use of marijuana. The risk of overdose from drugs is higher than the chance of being killed by a gun though most people simply don't see it.
The Stats On Prescription Abuse
Over the 16 year span from 1991 to 2007 the number of prescriptions given (for two specific painkillers only) increased from 40 million to over 180 million. This provided a much higher ability for adolescents to take these prescriptions, which were not theirs. In fact, 16 million children aged 12 or older reported abusing some type of painkiller, tranquilizer or sedative in the year 2008. These studies also show that between 2.7% and 7.7% of 8th, 10th or 12th graders abused Vicodin specifically in 2009 and between 2.1% and 5.1% of the same grade levels had abused Oxycontin.
These uses and abuses of prescription drugs have led to an increase in emergency visits (129% from 2004-2009), increase in treatment for addiction (500% from 1997-2007) and an increase in accidental overdoses (threefold 1990's-2007). When combined together the deaths resulting from accidental overdose of cocaine and heroin do not total the amount, which has come from overdose of prescription painkillers alone. This results, in part, from the more than 4.5 times as many prescriptions for these drugs (only two specific kinds) that have become available over this same span of time.
Painkiller abuse has occurred for years and has been studied for generations as well. This study specifically looked at the use of prescriptions such as Vicodin, Valium and Oxycontin and found that they were higher than ever measured before. Generations have never seen such high numbers however; it seems that as generations continue, these numbers will continue to rise.
For more information check out our site at www.drugrehab-georgia.com.
Source:
http://www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/prescription-drugs
