Study Finds Many Teenagers Abuse Prescription Drugs, ER Could Help Screen for Addiction Problems

According to a new study from the University of Michigan, over 10% of teenagers and young adults treated in a hospital emergency room admitted to misusing or abusing a prescription drug, painkiller, or sedative in the last year. The majority of those surveyed did not have a prescription for the drugs they used.

“Misuse” was defined in the study as taking prescription drugs to get high, taking more than was prescribed, or taking prescription drugs that were prescribed to someone else. Less than 15% of those who admitted to misusing prescription drugs like narcotic painkillers actually had a prescription for the drug they misused. The survey included prescription drugs like opioids fentanyl, oxycodone, hydrocodone, methadone, buprenorphine, and suboxone; and the sedatives Valium, Serepax, Ativan, Xanax, Librium, Rohypnol, and GHB.

The study surveyed 2,135 young people between ages 14 and 20 who were treated in the emergency room of University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor for any reason, in 2010 and 2011. The study was published in the journal Pediatrics, and is believed to be the first study that looks at pediatric misuse and abuse of prescription drugs specifically in the emergency room setting. In all, 10.4% of the young patients admitted to misusing a prescription drug at least once in the last year.

Previous studies that were based on schools found that about 8% of young people abuse prescription drugs. However, those studies did not include those who might have dropped out of school, or who did not continue their education past high school.

The study found that, oddly, about 1 in 7 participants who admitted to prescription drug misuse were discharged from the emergency room with a prescription for an opioid drug. In contrast, only 1 in 15 patients who did not abuse prescription drugs were given a prescription for an opioid painkiller. The finding suggests that emergency departments could be an effective screening place for teenagers and young adults who might have a prescription drug addiction.

“These patients are often using the emergency department for their medical care, not primary care settings,” said Lauren Whiteside, MD, who led the study during her U-M Injury Center postdoctoral research fellowship. “So, in order to curb this problem and address overdose and addiction, the ED is a good place to start.”

The survey also found that those who admitted to misusing prescription drugs were significantly more likely to also abuse alcohol and non-prescription drugs, like cough medicine and marijuana. They were also significantly more likely to have ridden with a drug driver.

The Strom Law Firm Can Help with Charges of Prescription Drug Abuse

If you have received criminal drug abuse charges, or are suspected of abusing prescription drugs, you are not automatically guilty, and you do not give up any of your rights. The attorneys at the Strom Law Firm can help defend you. We offer free, confidential consultations to discuss the facts of your case. Do not let criminal drug charges such as trafficking or possession ruin your reputation and career prospects. Contact us today. 803.252.4800.