| |
Americans are abusing
prescription medications, including opioids, depressants and stimulants, at an
alarming rate. The National
Household Survey on Drug Abuse, an annual survey by the Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration, shows that first use of stimulants for
non medical purposes has surpassed the numbers seen in 1974, 646, 000 new users,
the former high point. In 2000
there were 697,000 new users of stimulants for non medical purposes, up from
219,000 new users in 1991. For
prescription pain relievers, the number of new users reached 2 million in 2000,
up from 400,000 during the mid-1980's.
The Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration (SAMHSA), both part of the Department of Health and Human
Services, will hold a press conference on January16 to announce new data on
prescription medication abuse and launch public education efforts to inform the
public of the dangers of misuse of prescription medications.
WHO:
H. Westley Clark, M.D., J.D., M.P.H., Director, SAMHSA’s Center for
Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT)
John Jenkins, M.D., Director, FDA’s Office of New Drugs
Kyle Moores, youth in recovery, Manassas, VA.
WHEN:
January 16, 2003 at 9:30 a.m.
WHERE:
National
Press Club
Holeman Lounge
National Press Building
14th and F Streets NW
Washington D.C.
|
| |
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a public health agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the lead federal agency for improving the quality and availability of substance abuse prevention, addiction treatment and
mental health services in the United States. Information on SAMHSA's programs is available on
this website, www.samhsa.gov.
|
Media Advisory