Prescription drug overdoses on the rise in the U.S.
Christian Health Ministry - Christian Health News
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(NaturalNews) Both accidental and intentional prescription drug overdoses are on the
rise in the United States, according to a study conducted by researchers from West
Virginia University.
"People have seen the headlines related to Heath Ledger, Michael Jackson, Anna
Nicole Smith and they think that's tragic but maybe contained to Hollywood,"
researcher Jeffrey H. Coben said. "But the fact of the matter is we are seeing, across
the country, very significant increases in serious overdoses associated with these
prescription drugs."
The researchers reviewed medical records on drug-related hospitalization in the U.S.
Nationwide Inpatient Sample, which contains information on more than eight million
patients. They found that between 1999 and 2006, the number of people hospitalized
for overdoses of opioid painkillers, sedatives and tranquilizers increased by 65 percent,
from 43,000 to 71,000. This was nearly twice the increase seen in poisonings by other
drugs.
The most common victims of both intentional and unintentional opiate, sedative and
tranquilizer overdose were women between the ages of 35 and 54 living in urban areas.
Accidental poisonings increased by 37 percent, in contrast with a 21 percent increase in
unintentional overdoses of other drugs. Intentional poisonings with the same drugs
increased by 140 percent, from 10,000 to 24,000. In contrast, intentional poisoning by
other drugs increased only 53 percent.
"Unintentional poisoning is now the second leading cause of unintentional injury death in
the U.S.," the researchers wrote, surpassing even car crashes among people aged 35 to
54.
Researchers say it is hard to point to any one cause of the increase.
"There is not any single cause," said Coben. "There is increasing availability of powerful
prescription drugs in the community and attitudes toward their use tend to be different
than attitudes toward using other drugs, especially among young people, who report
that prescription drugs are easy to obtain, and they think they are less addictive and less
dangerous than street drugs like heroin and cocaine."
Sources for this story include: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS....
rise in the United States, according to a study conducted by researchers from West
Virginia University.
"People have seen the headlines related to Heath Ledger, Michael Jackson, Anna
Nicole Smith and they think that's tragic but maybe contained to Hollywood,"
researcher Jeffrey H. Coben said. "But the fact of the matter is we are seeing, across
the country, very significant increases in serious overdoses associated with these
prescription drugs."
The researchers reviewed medical records on drug-related hospitalization in the U.S.
Nationwide Inpatient Sample, which contains information on more than eight million
patients. They found that between 1999 and 2006, the number of people hospitalized
for overdoses of opioid painkillers, sedatives and tranquilizers increased by 65 percent,
from 43,000 to 71,000. This was nearly twice the increase seen in poisonings by other
drugs.
The most common victims of both intentional and unintentional opiate, sedative and
tranquilizer overdose were women between the ages of 35 and 54 living in urban areas.
Accidental poisonings increased by 37 percent, in contrast with a 21 percent increase in
unintentional overdoses of other drugs. Intentional poisonings with the same drugs
increased by 140 percent, from 10,000 to 24,000. In contrast, intentional poisoning by
other drugs increased only 53 percent.
"Unintentional poisoning is now the second leading cause of unintentional injury death in
the U.S.," the researchers wrote, surpassing even car crashes among people aged 35 to
54.
Researchers say it is hard to point to any one cause of the increase.
"There is not any single cause," said Coben. "There is increasing availability of powerful
prescription drugs in the community and attitudes toward their use tend to be different
than attitudes toward using other drugs, especially among young people, who report
that prescription drugs are easy to obtain, and they think they are less addictive and less
dangerous than street drugs like heroin and cocaine."
Sources for this story include: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS....