Joanne Kimberlin of The Virginian-Pilot has written an in-depth piece on prescription medication abuse in the US with a focus on the state of Virginia. It begins with an assessment of current conditions by Cathy Pederson, a Norfolk undercover drug agent who explains addicts no longer fit the old stereotypes.
More and more, she finds herself busting business executives, lawyers, teachers, gray-haired grandmothers, teenage girls – all caught in the grip of a blossoming addiction to opiates like OxyContin, Vicodin and Percocet. Pederson has noticed another common thread: “They didn’t meet opiates at a party. They didn’t start taking them for fun. There’s usually a car accident or a surgery somewhere in their background, and they became addicted to their pain meds.”
A sidebar gives the stats on the alarming number of people abusing prescription drugs, mostly pain killers.
Who are the drug abusers?
$50,000-plus The family income bracket reported by 42 percent of oxycodone abusers.
1 in 4 Troops admit abusing prescription drugs within a one-year period.
1 in 10 High school seniors say they’ve abused Vicodin.
40-49 The age bracket that accounts for about half of all prescription drug abuse.
9 million Americans currently abusing prescription drugs. Pain relievers are by far the most popular.
180 Estimated number of health care professionals arrested for prescription crimes in 2009 by a special unit of Virginia’s State Police.
The article is extremely detailed and informative covering the urgency and size of the problem, how it is occurring, and what authorities are doing about it. I found it odd but not surprising though that not once was methadone treatment discussed, especially since this is one of the most effective and accessible means known to treat long term addiction to opioids. It has been my experience that there is general misunderstanding of this treatment that many consider either taboo or just plain counterproductive despite the obvious benefits.
There’s an epidemic of opioid (pain med) drug abuse and addiction sweeping our nation and if we have any hope of keeping up with those that are “Jones-ing”… then we better start looking at methadone maintenance and medically assisted recovery programs as a solution instead of a stigma.
