Arizona is the Nation's Sixth Highest Prescription Drug Abuse Rate

March 13,2013

Prescription drug abuse. That's a phrase that both local and government officials nationwide are familiar with. The health industry is all but at a red flag warning level on the subject as well.

Arizona is the Nation's Sixth Highest Prescription Drug Abuse Rate

Prescription drug abuse. That's a phrase that both local and government officials nationwide are familiar with. The health industry is all but at a red flag warning level on the subject as well. Over a decade ago, the prescription pill market boomed with the introduction of oxycodone and its variants, some known as Percocet, vicodin and oxycontin. The wave of addiction stemming from these pills is quite massive, and has reached every corner of the country, calling for comprehensive addiction treatment programs to help those struggling from drug abuse.

The damage has been severe and evident with a catastrophic number of casualty and drug-related hospitalizations. From state to state, the evidence of prescription pill addiction is overwhelming. But the real question is which states are suffering the most from this epidemic-like wave of addiction, in order to supply sufficient treatment centers. The National Survey of Drug Use and Health recently released statistics on each of the states. At the top of the list was Oregon with 6.37% of the population potentially abusing prescription pills. Following close after was Colorado, Washington, Idaho and in fifth, Indiana.

While these states are dubbed the most problematic on the prescription pill addiction front, other states far below on the list, such as Florida at position 44, still had a percentage at 4.05. With Iowa last with 3.62%, this still leaves a large amount of the statewide population under the influence of prescription pill abuse.

Arizona was ranked number six and particular attention is being paid to the state and its functions. 5.66% is nothing to be proud of however, since last year the state dropped from the third position on the list all the way to sixth. For any large population, this is a great step forward in reducing the struggle concerning prescription pill abuse. True. State officials are content with such progress; such evidence has pointed towards their efforts in subduing the pill epidemic. The new prescription monitoring database, which encourages doctors to check a patient's prescription history in order to diminish doctor shopping, is believed to partly have a hand in the decreasing amount of abuse in the state. Other factors include the new policies that doctors follow when considering a prescription for a patient. The methods have become stricter and the importance of prescribing carefully has been pushed to a higher necessity.

There are also new programs being tested in a few counties across the state to curb prescription drug abuse. If the new techniques prove to be effective, state officials are hopeful to implement them state-wide. However, in addition to such techniques and doctor evaluations, local and government officials are calling out to communities. More schools, parents and public figures need to step-up and educate others on the pitfalls of prescription pill addiction. Thankfully, as more knowledge is spread, it is expected that the state's percentage of prescription pill abuse will continue to fall.

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Unintentional drug overdoses is a serious matter that has led to many family tragedies and loss of loved ones. The notion of losing someone, whether it's a friend, a parent, a sibling, or a son or daughter, is a devastating one. A Center For Addiction Recovery has been dedicated for ever ten years in providing addiction treatment services and programs for thousands of families nation-wide, and has saved numerous lives as a result. Our mission is not only to treat individuals who suffer from various drug addictions, but also those who suffer from mental disorders such as ADD or ADHD, Bipolar Disorder, and Post traumatic Stress Disorder.

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MARK KILLAR

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