New Study Finds Drug Addiction Rates Up for both Prescription Drug Treatment and Illegal Drug Addiction

According to Dr. Richard Miech, lead author of the study and head of Health and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Colorado Denver, the baby boomer generation’s impact on the death rates from drug abuse was overshadowed by a “huge increase” in accidental poisoning deaths overall. Miech attributed the increase to the growing number of prescription drug treatment medications used in the U.S. by all age groups. This new research indicates that an increasing number of people are dying from drug abuse or misuse, including both prescription drug abuse and illegal drug addiction. Moreover, the study found that in some groups, “accidental poisonings” as they are called, mostly the result of drug overdose, are more than ten times higher than they were in the late 1960s.

The famous drug-loving baby boomers make up a significant part of the recent increase in drug abuse, as they age and embrace prescription medications, but also death from accidental poisonings is higher across nearly all age groups than it was a few decades ago, especially among white Americans.

The study found that overall, white men and women were nine times as likely to die from accidental poisoning in 2005 through 2007 than they were in 1968-69, while black men and women were about three times more likely to die from accidental poisoning in recent years than they were 40 years ago. According to the analysis, changes in the body or changes in drug treatment use shifted the greatest proportion of drug overdose cases to people in their 40s and 50s, and that age group, which currently includes the tail-end of the baby boomer generation, is the segment in which some of the biggest changes in poisoning rates were registered. For instance, in 1968 about one in 100,000 white women in their early 50s died from accidental poisoning, while the current rates increased to 15 out of 100,000.

The study authors could not precisely determine what drugs caused the most accidental poisonings, however according to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) most prescription drug abuse involves painkillers, with Vicodin as the most commonly abused prescription drug treatment in the U.S. According to a 2004 government report, nearly half of all Americans, across all age groups, take a prescription drug treatment. Moreover, Dr. Wilson Compton, director of the Division of Epidemiology, Services and Prevention Research at the National Institute on Drug Abuse, found that death from prescription painkiller overdose has been “an epidemic in the past ten years”.

And, if you think that these individuals are not driving under the influence, I’ve a some ocean front property in Oklahoma I would like to sell you.  When you know your loved one is using or abusing prescription drugs or any type of drug and driving while impaired (DWI) there is a way to stop them.  Before Cleared2Drive all you could do was pray, but now you can take action.  Have a Cleared2Drive system installed on their vehicle and prevent impaired driving forever.

Drug-related crashes up in Florida

Is anyone surprised that the number of drug-related traffic crashes is rising in Florida given that they are the nation’s prescription drug capital?  Yes, it is nice that as the holiday season gets under way the state is ratcheting up its efforts against drunk and drugged driving, but let’s be honest here folks, Florida’s impaired driving problem isn’t going to go away just because we ring in a new year.

Over the holidays the Florida Highway Patrol says it is launching a new crackdown on impaired drivers (glad to see they are now starting to focus on impaired driving as opposed to just drunk driving) as the numbers show there’s a real need for it.  The latest statistics show drug-related crashes and injuries are up more than 10% in Florida, according to Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp. “Drug-related crashes increased by nearly 11% and drug-related injuries by more than 19%. These are numbers that we cannot ignore.” When you include drunk driving, the problem is even worse. Alcohol and drugs were factors in 44% of the more than 2,500 fatal crashes last year.

According to Bruce Grant, Director of Florida’s Office of Drug Control, driving at night on weekends is even riskier.  He sights a national survey by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) showing that a lot of drivers are using illegal drugs or pharmaceuticals on weekend nights.  “One in eight nighttime weekend drivers tested positive for an illicit drug. That number rises to one out of every six when you include not only illicit drugs but also pharmaceuticals.”

Grant says 17 other states make it a criminal offense to drive while using an illegal drug and he is urging Florida lawmakers to adopt a similar law.  “I think it’s time for Florida to seriously consider adopting a version of this so that we stop the increase that we see in drugged driving and prevent these crashes from becoming fatalities.” In my humble opinion, Florida should have been leading the charge on this one!

Over the New Year’s Day holiday in 2009, Florida experienced a record high fatality rate.  Police say DUI/DWI crashes killed 34 people over the four-day period.  Now with another New Year’s holiday fast approaching, Kottkamp is urging Floridians not to drive impaired this holiday season. “I would encourage all Floridians to be responsible and make good decisions, decisions that can make all live a better life.”

Yes, it good to “encourage” people to be responsible and not drive impaired, but when they can’t do it on their own, take comfort knowing Cleared2Drive can do it for them.