Rates of prescription drug abuse worldwide are higher than those for the use of cocaine, ecstasy and heroin, combined, according to a new report by the United Nations' International Narcotics Control Boards (INCB).
"Abuse of such drugs has been spreading over the world in recent years," said report co-author Hamid Ghodse of St. George's University in London. "It needs to be tackled urgently."
Ghodse said that prescription drug abuse is a "hidden problem," and it is difficult for authorities to get comprehensive data on the scale of the abuse. Recent high-profile celebrity deaths from prescription drug abuse, such as that of Michael Jackson, have brought more attention to the issue, however.
The INCB report notes that in the United States alone, an estimated 6.2 million people were addicted to prescription drugs in 2008, or roughly 2 percent of the population. Among illegal drugs, only cannabis use exceeds this figure. Read more...
Improve memory
