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Prevention efforts that begin later are 'too little, too late,'researchers say. By Alan Mozes HealthDay Reporter MONDAY, May 7 (HealthDay News) -- Among U.S. adolescents, misuse ofprescription painkillers peaks at age 16, earlier than thought, anew large survey analysis reveals. "What our findings suggest is that if we wait until the last yearof high school or college to take some kind of action that couldprevent the misuse of opioid painkillers, it'll be a case of toolittle, too late," cautioned study co-author James Anthony, aprofessor of epidemiology and biostatistics in the department ofepidemiology and biostatistics at Michigan State University in EastLansing. Many experts consider "extramedical" painkiller abuse -- takingpain drugs such as OxyContin (oxycodone) and Vicodin (hydrocodone)to get high rather than to relieve extreme pain -- the country'smost serious drug challenge. Some kids had already misused thesedrugs by age 13 or 14, or eighth grade, the researchers found. Anthony and his colleagues discuss their work, co-funded by theuniversity and the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse, in theMay 7 online edition of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. Concerned by rising rates of painkiller prescriptions and relatedoverdoses, the team analyzed information gathered between 2004 and2008 by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The informationwas self-reported by nearly 120,000 males and females between 12and 21 years old. The authors found that while roughly one in 60 kids between 12 and21 initiates prescription pain reliever abuse at some point in thatage range, the risk for doing so peaks at about 2.5 percent by age16. Approximately one in 30 to 40 young people initiated such abuse at16, a rate higher than that reported by the 12- to 14-year-old setor 19- to 21-year-olds, the researchers said. All of the respondents reported that up until the year theyparticipated in the poll they had not previously used pain relievers not prescribed for them. The team cautioned that the findings are based solely onparticipants' recollections of abuse, rather than on medicaltesting. As well, the overall pool of people surveyed could havebeen skewed by an unwillingness on the part of potential abusers toget involved in such a poll. The authors warned that their findings highlight a weakness inpublic health strategies that take sole aim at college-age drugabusers, given that the roots of the problem seem firmly plantedamong younger students. Dr. Marc Galanter, director of the division of alcoholism andsubstance abuse within the psychiatry department at New YorkUniversity Langone Medical Center in New York City, agreed that thecurrent analysis "correctly points to the need for prevention andearly intervention." "Prescription pain relievers are becoming our nation's gravestdrug-abuse problem," Galanter said. "And a pattern that oftenemerges is that younger adolescents may use these pillsintermittently or occasionally, and then later fall into heavieruse and addiction. So the earlier this issue can be addressed inthat sequence, the greater will be the opportunity for aconstructive outcome." Anthony added, however, that "even school-based programs targetingyounger kids about the dangers of opioids are not going to be thewhole answer." Public health efforts in schools need to be integrated with"efforts on the front lines of clinical practice where thesemedicines are being prescribed," he said. In some cases, doctors and dentists could prescribe insteadover-the-counter ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), or consider dispensingsmaller quantities, instead of a 30- or 40-day supply, he said. What can parents do? Besides thinking about locking up their medicines, he said parentsshould maintain open lines of communication with their children andpay attention to what's going on in their lives. "What are they doing that's engaging them, rewarding them, and arethose activities socially adaptive?" Anthony said. "Because whenyou begin to see these activities -- swimming, playing baseball,watching movies, video-gaming, whatever -- start to narrow and moodproblems set in, that's the time to pay a little more attention andstay engaged." More information For more on prescription drug abuse, visit the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse . SOURCES: James C. Anthony, Ph.D, professor, epidemiology andbiostatistics, department of epidemiology and biostatistics,Michigan State University, East Lansing; Marc Galanter, M.D.,director, division of alcoholism and substance abuse, department ofpsychiatry, New York University Langone Medical Center, professorof psychiatry, NYU School of Medicine, New York City; May 7, 2012, Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine , online Copyright © 2012 HealthDay . All rights reserved. I am an expert from sinocoredrill.com, while we provides the quality product, such as China Drill Pipe Casing , China Horizontal Directional Drilling Machine, Wireline Core Barrel,and more.
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