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Teens, Young Adults Driving Prescription Drug Abuse Increase, Study Finds

7637082 Teenagers and young adults are abusing prescription painkillers at a rate 40 percent higher than what would be expected for their age group, a new study finds.

The findings reinforce concerns by law enforcement and medical experts that the wide availability of painkillers is dangerous for adolescents, according to The Denver Post.

Researchers at the University of Colorado Denver evaluated data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, and found Americans ages 15 to 27 are driving the prescription drug abuse epidemic, the article notes.

Alcohol Dependence Has Deadlier Consequences Than Smoking Among Women

Woman-drinking Alcohol dependence is more likely than smoking to increase death rates among women, a new study finds.

German researchers found deaths rates were 4.6 times higher among women who were alcohol dependent, and 1.9 times higher among alcohol-dependent men, compared with the general population.

Lead researcher Ulrich John said the smoking-related deaths are more due to cancers, which seem to occur later in life than many alcohol-related deaths.

He added that drinking can contribute to other risky behaviors, such as smoking and obesity, HealthDay reports.

While Illicit Drug Use Decreases in Cities, Prescription Drug Abuse Climbs

Row-of-pill-bottles While illicit drug use has decreased in most large American cities, prescription drug abuse has climbed, according to a new study.

The study evaluated emergency room visits related to drug abuse in 11 major metropolitan areas, and some smaller urban areas, from 2007 to 2009.

The researchers found illicit drug use accounted for more emergency department visits than prescription drug abuse in 2007 (26 percent vs. 20 percent), for all metropolitan areas except Phoenix.

Doctor Visits for Drug or Alcohol Use Increased 70% Between 2001 and 2009

Doctor-counseling-patient The number of doctor visits for substance use disorders increased 70 percent among American adults between 2001 and 2009, according to a new study.

The increase appears to be driven in large part by prescription drug abuse, the researchers said.

The availability of effective treatment also contributed to the increase, lead researcher Dr. Joseph W. Frank of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston told Reuters. Frank estimated that 22.5 million Americans are dependent on alcohol or drugs.

“American Medicine Chest Challenge” Raises Awareness of Prescription Drug Abuse

Medicine-cabinet A health campaign called the "American Medicine Chest Challenge" aims to educate the public about the dangers of prescription drug abuse.

The campaign also provides safe options for disposing of prescription and over-the-counter drugs.

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