Prescription Drug Misuse and Abuse

Rising Concerns Nationally and Locally

What Do We Know?

1 in 5 teens (4.4 million) has abused a prescription medication

Nearly 1 in 5 teens (4.2 million) has abused a prescription painkiller

Every day 2500 teens misuse prescription drugs for the first time (PDFA)

Most commonly abused Rx Drugs are:Painkillers/Opiates (Vicodin, OxyContin)Depressants (Xanax, Ambien)Stimulants (Ritalin, Dexedrine)

National Statistics For the first time, there are just as many new abusers (12 and

older) of prescription drugs as there are for marijuana. (SAMHSA, 2006)

Prescription drugs are the most commonly abused drug among 12-13-year-olds. (NSDUH, 2006)

One in 10 high school seniors has used Vicodin in the the past year (MTF, 2006)

3.5% of 8th-12th graders reported using OxyContin, and six percent reported using Vicodin in the past year. (MTF, 2006)

OxyContin use by 8th graders exactly doubled—increasing 100 percent over the last four years (from 1.3% in 2002 to 2.6% in 2006) (ONDCP)

2008 Healthy Youth Survey Data

Have you used Prescription Pain Killers “to get high” in the past 30 days?4.6% in CC and 4% of WA State 8th graders9.1% in CC and 10% of WA State 10th graders10.8% in CC and 12% of WA State 12th graders

Washington ranked 6th in the nation for % of people 12 and older mis-using prescription pain relievers (Oregon ranked 4th)

Among 12th graders who abused pain relievers, over half used them three or more times in the past month

WASBIRT DATA

44

53

, 17

20

4

7

12 2 3 3 3

2425

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Alcohol Marijuana Opiates Tranquilizers Hallucinogens Heroine Any Drugs

All WASBIRT Hospitals

Southwest Washington Medical Center

Death Rates in Clark County 13 cases of prescription drugs - multiple different

drugs.  8 cases of methamphetamine  3 cases of methadone alone  34 cases of mulitple drugs used in combination

including methadone, oxycodone, hydrocodone and morphine in combination with other drugs. 

According to Clark County Medical Examiners Office cause of death for Rx drugs can be difficult to determine, thus statistics may not reflect deaths due to RX use accurately.

A Look at Access Nationally

2.6%

0.1%

0.1%

0.5%

6.3%

4.5%

47.3%

10.2%

10.0%

18.3%

From a Friend

Took friend or relative

Bought from a friend orrelative

Some Other Way

Dealer

More than 1 Dr.

Internet

Wrote fake Rx

Stole from Dr.s Office

Just 1 Dr.

Where do youth in Clark Countyget Prescription Drugs8th Graders (4.6%) My own Rx through doctor2.5% A family member gave it to me 1.0% Took it without permission 1.4% Got it from a friend 0.5% Got it from an acquaintance 0.5% Got it from a drug dealer 0.8% Got it from the internet 0.1% Another way 0.8%

10th Graders (9.1%) My own Rx through doctor3.8% A family member gave it to me 1.7% Took it without permission 2.7% Got it from a friend 4.7% Got it from an acquaintance 1.3% Got it from a drug dealer 0.8% Got it from the internet 0.2% Another way 1.2%

12th Grade (10.8%) My own Rx through doctor 5.9% A family member gave it to me 2.0% Took it without permission 2.0% Got it from a friend 7.4% Got it from an acquaintance 0.9% Got it from a drug dealer 1.3% Got it from the internet 0.2% Another way 1.2%

Three in five teens say prescription pain relievers are easy to get from parents’ medicine cabinets

Half of teens say they are easy to get through other people’s prescriptions

More than half say prescription pain relievers are “available everywhere.” (PATS, 2006)

DASA Rx Info for WA State

Youth admissions to DASA-funded treatment for prescription opiates are now 16 times higher than in 2000. There were 22 admissions in 2000, and 360 in 2008

In 2008, the Washington State Poison Center received 89 reports of intentional exposure to prescription pain relievers (opiates) by teens. Abuse was the most common motivation, followed by attempted suicide.

In 2007, 454 people died of prescription opiate-related overdoses, including three youth. There were only 24 such deaths in 1995.4

What are Local Experts seeing “Everyday Occurrence” “Some kids will try any drug they find” Youth are mixing Rx drugs with other Rx

drugs, alcohol, and other substances and don’t realize the consequences

Concerns about the impact of the local pain clinic closing

Concerns about high doses of pain meds being prescribed

Street value of Rx drugs increasing

Prescription Drug Resources Online:

You can find information at:

www.anti-drug.comwww.drugfree.org

www.usdoj.orgwww.ondcp.gov

www.samhsa.govhttp://www.dshs.wa.gov/DASA/

Sources Cited: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services

Administration (SAMHSA) National Survey of Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) Monitoring the Future Survey (MTF) Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Healthy Youth Survey (HYS) Washington State Screening Brief Intervention

Referral Treatment (WASBIRT) Partnership Attitude Tracking System (PATS) Washington State Division of Alcohol and Substance

Abuse (DASA)