World of Psychology

Nearly 1.3 million Americans abuse prescription drugs

By John M. Grohol, PsyD
Founder & Editor-in-Chief

Nearly 1.3 million Americans 12 and older abuse prescription drugs and require treatment for their problem, a new study concludes. Older adults, women, individuals in poor health and those who drink alcohol daily are most likely to develop a prescription drug habit, according to Linda Simoni-Wastila, Ph.D., of the University of Maryland, Baltimore, and colleagues. Their findings appear in the American Journal of Public Health. The researchers did not find a link between prescription drug abuse and use of illegal drugs like marijuana or cocaine.


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    Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 20 Apr 2004
    Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.

APA Reference
Grohol, J. (2004). Nearly 1.3 million Americans abuse prescription drugs. Psych Central. Retrieved on May 25, 2012, from http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2004/04/20/nearly-13-million-americans-abuse-prescription-drugs/

 

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