Different kind of drug abuse

In the public mind, there is a big distinction between prescription drugs ordered by a physician to treat illness and illegal drugs typically bought and sold on the street. The truth, though, is that there’s not much difference in the two in one important regard. According to a recent report, hospital emergency room visits arising from the abuse of prescription drugs are now just as common as those prompted by the abuse of illegal drugs.

The increase in the misuse of prescription drugs is clearly a reason for worry. It adds to the already difficult problems faced by an overextended emergency health care system. It concerns both public health officials and private providers because the abuse of any drug — prescription or not — often is a precursor for addiction. The physical and fiscal cost of such abuse and addiction is already immense. It is likely to grow exponentially if current trends continue.

Painkillers and anti-anxiety medications are propelling the growth of prescription drug abuse, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Emergency room visits involving the abuse of painkillers — oxycodone, hydrocodone and methadone increased 111 percent from 2004 to 2008. Visits tied to the abuse of anti-anxiety medicines — Valium, Xanax, Ativan and Klonopin, rose 89 percent in the same period. The abuse is not limited to specific age groups.

Indeed, though most drug abuse during the 2004-08 period took place in the 21-29 age group, the problem is more widespread than the public knows.

The report indicates that the rate of ER visits triggered by prescription drug abuse was roughly the same among those in their 20s as it was in individuals in their early 50s. Another CDC survey indicates that about 20 percent of high school students say they have taken a drug such as Xanax, OxyContin or Ritalin without having a doctor’s prescription. If that habit is not broken, the number of prescription drug abusers and addicts surely will grow in coming years.

That’s a frightening prospect. According to the CDC, there were about 2 million ER visits prompted by drug abuse in 2008. About half were from the abuse of prescription medicines and half from overdoses or other problems stemming from the use of illegal drugs like heroin and cocaine. Reversing the trend will take a united effort from individuals, public and private agencies and the medical community. Even then, the task will be difficult.

The public should be disabused of the notion that using prescription medications for nonprescribed purposes is somehow safer than using illegal drugs. Truth is, misuse of prescription drugs is as dangerous as the use of illegal ones. Physicians will have to become more cautious about writing prescriptions for the most abused drugs. Individuals will have to become more aware of the potency of the medicines they take and how and where they are stored.

Some adults inadvertently become hooked on drugs after using them for legitimate medical purposes. Youngsters often begin using prescription drugs when they find them at home. Whatever the route, abuse, addiction and drug-seeking behavior can follow. The numbers — here and across the nation — bear that out. Prescription rates for the drugs most often abused have grown rapidly in the past few years. Antidotes are available, but we must be willing to employ them.

There is a fine line between the necessary use of prescription drugs for positive purpose and those that are abused. Americans increasingly cross that line — and the nation’s health is increasingly imperiled as a result.