Prescription drug abuse among young adults drops

Prescription drug abuse by young adults dropped 14 percent last year to its lowest rate since 2002 as authorities continue new attempts to curtail abuse.

USA Today: Prescription-Drug Use Drops Among Young People
Prescription-drug abuse in the USA declined last year to the lowest rate since 2002 amid federal and state crackdowns on drug-seeking patients and over-prescribing doctors (Leger, 9/25).

Medpage Today: Rx Drug Abuse Down Among Young Adults
The number of young people using prescription drugs for non-medical purposes in the last month dropped 14 percent from previous year's data, the latest survey shows. The number of people ages 18 to 25 who abused prescription drugs fell from 2 million in 2010 to 1.7 million in 2011, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, released Monday. … The annual survey of roughly 70,000 Americans ages 12 and older is conducted by the Department on Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). An updated analysis from this spring revealed that most people who misuse prescription painkillers received their drugs from friends and family (Pittman, 9/24).