| HEALTH STATUS - Protective and Risk Factors |
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While it is widely acknowledged that abuse of illicit drugs is a national concern, misuse of prescription drugs is also a significant health problem in the United States. Psychotherapeutic drugs in particular are misused. A psychotherapeutic drug is a substance that alters the mood and includes prescription-type stimulants, sedatives, tranquilizers, and pain relievers. Misuse of prescription drugs is a particular concern among women, who are nearly 50 percent more likely than men to be prescribed an abusable prescription drug, especially narcotics and anti-anxiety drugs.(1) Because of their potential risk for misuse and addiction, most psychotherapeutic drugs are classified as controlled substances by the Food and Drug Administration.
Data from the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse indicate that 14.5 percent of the U.S. population aged 12 years and older in 2000 had ever used at least one psychotherapeutic drug for non-medical reasons. Overall, the rates of prescription drug misuse were similar for women and men; among persons aged 12-17, however, females were more likely than males to misuse psychotherapeutic drugs. Adolescent and young adult women were about three times more likely to use psychotherapeutic drugs for non-medical purposes than women 26 years and older. In 2000, roughly 8 percent of females aged 12-17 and 18-25 reported using psychotherapeutic prescription drugs for non-medical reasons in the past year, compared to approximately 3 percent of women 26 years and older. Among the various types of psychotherapeutic drugs reported, prescription pain relievers were most commonly misused, followed by tranquilizers, stimulants, and sedatives.
1 - National Institute on Drug Abuse Research Report Series. Prescription Drugs: Abuse and Addiction. http://www.nida.nih.gov/ResearchReports/Prescription/prescription5.html
