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Prescription Painkiller Abuse Kills 46 Daily
According to the Centers for Disease Control, 46 people die each day from an overdose of prescription painkillers in the United States. The rate of prescription painkiller overdoses has more than quadrupled since 1999 and is now the leading cause of injury death, causing more deaths than motor vehicle traffic accidents annually.
Teens and young adults, who mistakenly believe prescription drugs are safer than illicit drugs, are abusing pills at an alarming rate. One in four teens has misused or abused a prescription drug at least once in their lifetime, a 33 percent increase since 2008.
The increase in the use of prescription drugs has also led to an explosion of heroin abuse. The recent national heroin abuse rate is 19 times higher among those who reported prior use of prescription pain relievers than among those who did not report such use. And four out of every five people who try heroin for the first time admit to having abused prescription pain relievers first.
U.S. Attorney John Parker announced the release of a public service announcement (PSA) that addresses the dangers of prescription drug abuse and recommends ways parents can keep their children safe. The announcement is made in advance of National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, which is this Saturday, April 30, 2016.
The PSA provides tips on how parents can dispose of prescription drugs safely, since the home medicine cabinet is the number-one source of prescription pills for teens and young adults. On Take-Back Day, collection sites will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Click here to locate a collection site near you.
The PSA may be found here. Media requesting a high-resolution version may contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Public Affairs at txnusa@usa.doj.gov or 214-659-8600.
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|Sex Crimes|Cybercrime|Public Corruption|Weapons|Human Trafficking|White Collar Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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