The good news is non-prescription drug use appears to be down. According to PsycPORT (the APA news service) incidence of prescription drug use is on the rise in the US:
"While their use of marijuana declined from 30.1 percent to 25.8 percent from 2002 to 2005, use of OxyContin, a painkiller, increased from 2.7 percent to 3.5 percent over the same period. Use of Vicodin, another painkiller, increased slightly from 6 percent to 6.3 percent.
Teens are also abusing stimulants like Adderall and anti-anxiety drugs like Xanax because they are readily available and perceived as safer than street drugs, Walters said."
I'm not surprised at all by the stimulant use increase. I've certainly heard of this abuse, particularly at college and university where individuals come across roommates with prescriptions. The article notes that some of the pain killer abuse is linked to online pharmacies which may not be as big an issue in Canada. But medication is more readily available here with low costs so who knows. CLICK HERE to read the release.
