|
|
Article: Abuse of Prescription Drugs Widespread, Survey Shows
- Article from:
- Chicago Sun-Times
- Article date:
- July 19, 1993
CopyrightCopyright 1993 Chicago Sun-Times. (Hide copyright information)
|
WASHINGTON Misuse of prescription drugs may be a serious problem
for millions of Americans, researchers at the National Institute on
Drug Abuse said. Because prescription drugs make up 10 percent of
the national health bill, the problem is gaining the attention of
health policymakers.
A survey of more than 32,000 households found that 12.5 percent
of respondents had abused prescription drugs in their lifetime.
Shibania Ray-Mazumder, an epidemiologist with NIDA, said that if
these figures are applied to the entire U.S. population, about 12
million Americans abuse prescription drugs.
The survey found that whites were more likely to abuse the drugs
than African Americans; and men were ...