David Mineta, Deputy Director of Demand Reduction for the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, presented a keynote address in California recently, highlighting the widespread abuse of strong prescription narcotics such as OxyContin.

In the past 4 years, prescription drug deaths have risen by 60 percent and most of those deaths have been related to the abuse of Oxycodone which is viewed by abusers as a synthetic, yet more expensive, form of heroin.

It was previously thought that young people were the ones most affected by such abuse and death; however, statistics show that many more deaths are happening within the 30 to 50 year-old-age range.

“These statistics are revealing,” begins a spokesperson for Mountainside Drug Rehab and Alcohol Treatment Center . “In the past, young people have been thought of as the ones we should target to prevent substance abuse. It is encouraging in that it seems that drug prevention programs are working with our youth. Unfortunately, maybe not enough time has been spent on educating adults on the risks of addiction.”

One explanation for this overdose explosion among 30 to 50 year olds could be related to the health problems some begin experiencing at this age. Many of those included within these statistics had diagnoses such as PTSD, chronic pain syndrome, fibromyalgia and various mental disorders, specifically schizophrenia and manic depressive illness.

Via EPR Network
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