Gender differences

Gender differences

Overall, more males than females
abuse prescription drugs in all
age groups except the youngest
(aged 12 to 17 years); that is,
females in this age group exceed
males in the nonmedical use of
all psychotherapeutics, including
pain relievers, tranquilizers, and
stimulants. Among nonmedical
users of prescription drugs, females
12 to 17 years old are also more
likely to meet abuse or dependence
criteria for psychotherapeutics (see
figure, left).

How many people
suffer adverse health
consequences from abusing
prescription drugs?

The Drug Abuse Warning
Network (DAWN), which
monitors emergency department
(ED) visits in selected areas
across the Nation, reported that
approximately 1 million ED visits
in 2009 could be attributed to
prescription drug abuse. Roughly
343,000 involved prescription
opioid pain relievers, a rate more
than double that of 5 years prior.
ED visits also more than doubled
for CNS stimulants, involved in
nearly 22,000 visits in 2009, as well
as CNS depressants (anxiolytics,
sedatives, and hypnotics), involved
in 363,000 visits. Of the latter,
benzodiazepines (e.g., Xanax)
comprised the vast majority. Rates
for a popular prescribed nonbenzodiazepine
sleep aid, zolpidem
(Ambien), rose from roughly
13,000 in 2004 to 29,000 in 2009.
More than half of ED visits for
prescription drug abuse involved
multiple drugs.