According to a study published Online First by Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine , teenagers in the United States are more likely to useprescription pain relievers to get high or for other unapprovedindications (extramedical use) during mid-adolescence. Public health professionals, physicians and other prescribingclinicians, such as dentists acknowledge the recent increase inpopularity of prescribing pain relievers. Prior studies haveindicated that extramedical use of these drugs increases the rateof deaths due to overdose. In order to identify when adolescents are most likely to startusing prescription pain relievers for extramedical use, ElizabethA. Meier, Ph.D. and her team at Michigan State University examineddata from the 2004-2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The researchers based their estimates on 119,877 participants agedbetween 12 to 21 years of age. Participants of the study reportedthat they had never used prescription pain relievers forextramedical use prior to the year they were evaluated for thesurvey. The researchers said: "We suspect that many physicians, other prescribing clinicians, andpublic health professionals will share our surprise that for youthin the United States, the peak risk of starting extramedical use ofprescription pain relievers generally occurs before the final yearof high school, not during the post-secondary school years." According to the researchers, estimates for each year between2004-2008 show that approximately 1 in 60 adolescents start usingprescription pain relievers for extramedical use. In addition, theteam found that adolescents were more likely to start extramedicaluse around the age of 16 (1 in 30 adolescents). The researchers conclude: "With the peak risk at age 16 and a notable acceleration in riskbetween ages 13 and 14 years, any strict focus on college studentsor 12th graders might be an example of too little too late in theclinical practice sector and in public health work. There is reason to strengthen earlier school-based preventionprograms and early outreach along the lines of effectiveschool-based alcohol and tobacco public health initiatives." Written By Grace Rattue Copyright: Medical News Today Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today Additional References Citations. The e-commerce company in China offers quality products such as Siren and Strobe Light , China Optical Smoke Detector, and more. For more , please visit CO Alarm Detector today!
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