title: Prescription and over-the-counter drug treatment admissions to the California public treatment system.
abstract: Prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drug abuse has become a focal point of public health policy, prevention, and control efforts. Adolescents represent one of the fastest growing segments of the general population abusing prescription and OTC drugs as represented by national surveys. This article reports on treatment admission data to the California addiction public system for prescription and OTC drugs among two age subgroups: adolescents 12-17 years and adults 18 years and older. Of the 6,841 admissions for primary abuse of prescription and OTC drugs in California (during 2006-2007), most adolescent admissions (12-17) were for stimulant prescription and OTC drugs (45.3% and 32.1%, respectively), whereas opioid prescription drugs (88.9%) were most common for adults 18 years and older. Differences in psychosocial, treatment, and substance use characteristics between these two age subgroups are described. Results from this study offer useful treatment admission information about prescription and OTC drug abuse within the California public addiction treatment system.
authors.affiliation: University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA. rachelmg@ucla.edu
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gonzales
authors.forename: Mary-Lynn
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Brecht
authors.forename: Larissa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mooney
authors.forename: Richard A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Rawson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000009:adverse effects; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000009:adverse effects; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055553:Prescription Drugs / Q000009:adverse effects*; D017150:Public Sector; D016320:Substance Abuse Treatment Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs; D055553:Prescription Drugs