Prescription Drug Abuse: Young People at Risk
Text Description of Infographic
Top Graph: Past Year Drug Abuse Among High School Seniors Graph. After marijuana, prescription and over-the-counter medications account for most of the past-year use of commonly abused drugs among high school seniors. Data for past-year use of prescription and over-the-counter medicines include the following: Vicodin (8%), Adderall (6.5%), Salvia (5.9%), Tranquilizers (5.6%), Cough Medicine (5.3%), OxyContin (4.9%), Sedatives (4/3%), and Ritalin (2.6%), a combined total of 37.2%. Data for past-year use of illicit drugs includes the following: Marijuana/Hashish (36.4%), Synthetic Marijuana (11.4%), Salvia (5.9%), MDMA (Ecstasy 5.3%), Hallucinogens (5.2%), Inhalants (3.2%), and Cocaine (any form, 2.9 %).
Bottom Left Image. About 1 in 9 youth or 11.4 percent of young people aged 12 to 25 used prescription drugs nonmedically within the past year. (National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2010)
Bottom Right Graphic. Twenty-five percent of those who began abusing prescription drugs at age 13 or younger met clinical criteria for addiction sometime in their life. (National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2010)