Treatment Admissions for Prescription Drug Abuse Jumped 430 Percent in 10 Years

Treatment admissions for prescription drug abuse rose 430 percent from 1999 to 2009, according to a new government report.

In the same period, the overall rate of admissions related to substance abuse stayed constant, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) found.

The biggest jumps in admissions for prescription drug abuse occurred in Maine, Vermont, Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, Arkansas, Rhode Island and West Virginia, the New York Daily News reports.

SAMHSA found admissions related to marijuana rose 33 percent over the 10-year period, while those for treatment to heroin, cocaine, and alcohol abuse declined. Admissions for methamphetamine/ amphetamine treatment increased between 1999 and 2005, and then decreased every year through 2009.

“While some aspects of substance abuse treatment admissions have changed, meeting the overall need remains an essential public health priority,” SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde said in a news release. “The increasing numbers of people entering treatment for prescription drug abuse is the latest indicator of the severity of the problem. Concerned family members or friends who think a substance abuse problem may exist should seek help. Treatment is effective and people recover.”