Nonmedical Use of Prescription-Type Drugs, by County Type.

摘要

Nonmedical use of prescription drugs ranks as the second most common class of illicit drug use in the United States. Recent data indicate that the rate of use declined slightly between 2010 and 2011 and suggest that National, State, and local efforts to reduce prescription drug misuse may be beginning to have an impact. However, with an annual average of 15.7 million people aged 12 or older having misused prescription drugs between 2005 and 2011, there is still much work left to be done. State and local public health authorities are better able to understand and effectively serve their communities if they know the prevalence of nonmedical use of prescription drugs in various types of counties (e.g., metropolitan, urbanized non-metropolitan, and rural). Access to drugs and the delivery of prevention and treatment services may differ by county type.