Epidemiology of Adolescent Opioid Abuse - Research Paper Example

However, the current increased availability and prescription of opioid medication makes its consumption a medication abuse (Essau, 2008). In fact, the nonmedical use of prescription drug is currently the second most form of illicit drug use after marijuana. In particular, surveys conducted among adolescents between the age of 12 and 18suggest the widespread use of nonmedical opioid use as medicine (Strain et al., 2005). Although studies have shown a considerable stabilization of nonmedical opioid abuse in this age bracket in recent times, the findings of these studies may be exploited by pediatricians to increase opioid prescription.

Nonetheless, pain should not be undertreated as physicians seek reduce opioid prescription to curb its abuse. It is however important that health care professionals and the public acknowledge the epidemiology and prevalence of nonmedical opioid use, pattern, and the best prevention and treatment for adolescents (Hagan, 2000). This paper explores the issue of the epidemiology of opioid abuse in adolescents. Epidemiology of Adolescent Opioid Abuse Among the most studied scheduled medications, opioid is perhaps the most widely prescribed medication to pediatric patients.

The other scheduled medications widely studied include stimulants, sedatives, sleep medications, and anxiolytics. Reportedly, about 46% to 48% of adolescents (10 to 18 years of age) have admitted having used an opioid in their lifetimes for medicinal and nonmedical reasons (National Institute of Drug Abuse, 2012). Though many adolescents use opioid for medical purposes, a good portion of them take opioids for nonmedical reasons. Since there is no clear distinction between nonmedical and medial users of opioid, the behaviors associated with nonmedical usage of opioid are often hidden, making it rather difficult for opioid abuse diagnoses to be made.

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the rate of opiate abuse and accidental deaths is on the rise in the United States. In fact, the CDC estimates that the usage of opiate for relieving pain accounted for approximately 74% of prescription drug overdose-related deaths in the country in 2008 (National Institute of Drug Abuse, 2012). Since the publication of opiate abuse and opiate-related death statistics for the 1999-2008 period by the CDC, opiate abuse among adolescents, which is the most affected group, has become a public health concern.

Consequently, there have been intensified efforts to reduce opiate abuse and its effects among adolescents give that the deaths caused by use of opiate as pain relievers now exceeds the deaths caused by cocaine and heroin combined. The following demographic variables related to pediatric nonmedical opioid abuse among adolescents of various age categories. While comparing males and females adolescents, it is noted that females are twice more likely to report lifetime nonmedical opioid use than males.

Nonmedical abuse of opioid also increases with age among teenagers. For example, while 4.9% of those aged between 12 to 13 years old abuse opioid, 8.0% and 16.4% of those aged between 14 and 15 years and 16 and 17 years respectively abuse the drug. Averagely, the age at which adolescents start abusing opioids is 13.3 years (National Institute of Drug Abuse, 2012). Race is the other criterion by which opioid abuse epidemiology among adolescents has been studied. According to