The seal of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)As we approach National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on April 28th 2012, we should take time and reflect upon how serious the prescription drug epidemic is and how important safely disposing of one’s unused drugs can be. Believe it or not, the majority of people who use prescription narcotics for the first time acquire the drugs from other people, according to a new surveyOnce a habit ensues, going to a doctor to have prescriptions written is the only way to ensure that you will have enough medication to sustain your habit throughout the month, USA Today reports.
More than two-thirds of those who said they had gotten high on painkillers for the first time in the past year received the pills from family or friends, according to an analysis of data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, scheduled to be released on Wednesday,.
Estimates show that 2.4 million Americans start abusing prescription drugs annually. About one-third of new users are adolescents, according to the report. Almost 6 percent of young adults ages 18 to 25, and 3 percent of teenagers, say they regularly get high on prescription drugs.
Two-thirds of people who used painkillers to get high less than once a week got pills for free, or stole them from a relative or friend, the survey found. Among regular users, 28 percent said they bought the pills from a relative, friend, drug dealer or online. Twenty-six percent had prescriptions from at least one doctor.
The Take Back event is sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
