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.
Dr. John Grohol is the CEO and founder of Psych Central. He is an author, researcher and expert in mental health online, and has been writing about online behavior, mental health and psychology issues -- as well as the intersection of technology and human behavior -- since 1992. Dr. Grohol sits on the editorial board of the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking and is a founding board member and treasurer of the Society for Participatory Medicine.Like this author?
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Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 20 Apr 2004
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Grohol, J. (2004). Nearly 1.3 million Americans abuse prescription drugs. Psych Central. Retrieved on February 14, 2012, from http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2004/04/20/nearly-13-million-americans-abuse-prescription-drugs/
Grohol, J. (2004). Nearly 1.3 million Americans abuse prescription drugs. Psych Central. Retrieved on February 14, 2012, from http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2004/04/20/nearly-13-million-americans-abuse-prescription-drugs/
