Abuse of Rx drugs soaring, study finds

WASHINGTON — The number of Americans abusing prescription medicine has nearly doubled in the past decade, while teen prescription abuse has tripled, researchers reported Thursday.

More than 15 million Americans over the age of 12 reported using prescriptions for non-medical purposes in 2003, up from 7.8 million in 1992, according to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, which conducted the three-year study.

The number of people age 12 to 17 abusing the drugs grew 212 percent, while the number of adult abusers climbed 81 percent, the study found.

Researchers attributed the increase, particularly among teens, to the proliferation of prescriptions, the availability of the drugs on the Internet, increased drug marketing on television and a lack of parental oversight.

"The bottom line is this: Our nation is in the throes of an epidemic of controlled prescription drug abuse and addiction," said Joseph Califano Jr., chairman and president of the national center.

"Today, more people are abusing prescription drugs than the number who abuse cocaine, hallucinogens, inhalants and heroin," said Califano.

Califano said teens are particularly vulnerable to prescription abuse because of the explosion of addictive drugs found at home. He also said teens might think the drugs are relatively safe because they are doctor-prescribed, or may use the drugs as self-medication for anxiety, depression or stress.

White, well-educated, married women with higher incomes are among the most likely adults to become prescription drug addicts and are less likely to be detected by physicians.

The center said its report was the first comprehensive study conducted on prescription abuse, in which a person takes a non-prescribed medicine or alters the prescribed dosage to experience the feeling it causes.

Pain relievers, antidepressants, stimulants and steroids are among the most commonly abused medications. Controlled prescriptions — including Adderall, Ritalin, OxyContin, Vicodin and Xanax — are the fourth most abused substance in the country behind alcohol, marijuana and tobacco, according to the study.

The study found a 542 percent increase in the number of teens abusing pain-killers for the first time, compared to a 124 percent increase for adults.