Rich and poor, large and small, municipalities across the United States are seeing a frightening increase in the number of prescription drug overdoses and deaths. Numerous prescription drug abuse statistics highlight the severity of the problem. Sadly, it is a trend that seems only to be worsening as more men and women become trapped in the endless cycle of addiction.
Prescription Drug Abuse Statistics
More than 15 million people in the United States abuse prescription medications. That’s more than the number of people abusing inhalants, hallucinogens, heroin and cocaine combined. In 2007, a survey revealed that over 3% of young people between the ages of 12 and 17 and 6% of people aged 17 to 25 had abused prescription drugs within the past month.
What’s more, over 38% of the U.S. overdose deaths in 2005 were a result of opioid painkillers, to the tune of more than 15,500 deaths annually. The headlines in the years since then have been highlighting skyrocketing prescription drug abuse statistics. Over the last seven years, prescription drug abuse-related medical emergencies rose by 132%, with opioid involvement going up by 183%. The problem has ballooned to such an extent that many municipal first responder teams are overwhelmed.
Risk Factors for Prescription Drug Abuse
Everyone is unique, but there are certain risk factors that can make a person more susceptible to prescription pill abuse. They include:
- Being young. Teens and adolescents often succumb to peer pressure or curiosity to experiment
- Previous problems. People who have addiction problems with alcohol or substances
- Environment. People whose jobs or other situations make accessing prescription drugs easy
- Psychiatric factors. Individuals with mental illness
Perhaps most disturbing of all statistics about prescription drug abuse is that it’s leading many individuals with opioid addictions to transition to heroin, which is cheaper and very easy to acquire on the street. Heroin use went up by 75% between 2007 and 2011.
Turn Your Life Around at Pinnacle Peak Recovery Center
Your addiction to prescription medications may have started innocently enough. Perhaps your doctor recommended them to give you some relief after an injury or because of pain from a chronic condition. But if you’ve reached the point that you can’t go without your substance of choice and obtaining it has become your sole focus, it’s time to take action to literally save your own life.
Pinnacle Peak Recovery Center in Scottsdale, Arizona is a fully accredited, 50-bed addiction treatment center. Our mission is to give people who are serious about recovery all the tools they need to understand their addiction to alcohol, pills or other substances and put it behind them once and for all. Our clients benefit from top-of-the-line treatments and facilities that include the following:
- Medically supervised off-site detox
- Evidence-based therapy to help them explore the causes and triggers of their addiction, set goals and find solutions
- Group and family counseling
- Activities to enrich growth as a whole person, including meditation, yoga, Tai Chi and outdoor adventure
- Outpatient and peer support after graduation
While prescription drug abuse statistics are frightening, don’t let them scare you away from getting the treatment you need. Call our caring and knowledgeable addictions counselors today at 866-377-4761 to begin treating your prescription drug addiction. Once you do, you’ll be walking with us toward a brighter, happier life free of addiction.