Why Are Many American Adults Misusing Prescription Painkillers?
Prescription painkillers are second only to marijuana as the United States drug of choice. Around 91.8 million Americans aged 18 and above used prescription painkillers in 2014, according to the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). That’s about 38% of the population.
Approximately 11.5 million US adults misused prescription painkillers at least once in 2014, for which the most common reason cited was to relieve physical pain. In addition, 5.7 million adults misused prescription tranquilizers at least once in 2014. The primary reasons for this were to help with sleep or to aid relaxation.
These are among the key findings offered by the latest CBHSQ report, which asks the question: ‘Why do adults misuse prescription drugs?’ The release argues that prescription painkillers are, for the most part, being used in the correct manner. However, a worrying percentage are using the drugs to get high, which can lead to dependence, overdose and even death.
