[Vision2020] DARE to speak the truth

Wed Feb 25 19:01:53 PST 2009

Ted writes:
"...from 1992 to 2003, while the U.S. population increased 14 percent,
the number of 12 to 17 year olds who abused controlled prescription
drugs jumped 212 percent..." 

The number of car accidents from 1929 to 2009 has increases my times over. Do you think cars are more dangerous now than ever before, or do you think there are other factors, such as the increased number of cars, and an increase in the number of people. 

The number of prescription drugs has increased far more than 212% between 1992 and 2003. Also, what  was the definition of abuse in 1992 versus that of 2003, and the methods of reporting the abuse changed, is it more accurate? The number of anything goes up when your methods and definitions of reporting change and reporting is easier. A woman reporting rape in 1970 had a much harder time that of a woman in 2007. 

You forget, that most of the youth growth in population between 1992 and 2003 are minority poor and far more likely to end up on drugs then previous populations. In addition, has the enrollment of DARE increased in the same numbers and $ over that same period of time?

Best Regards,

Donovan

--- On Wed, 2/25/09, Ted Moffett <starbliss at gmail.com> wrote:
From: Ted Moffett <starbliss at gmail.com>
Subject: [Vision2020]  DARE to speak the truth
To: "vision 2020" <vision2020 at moscow.com>
Date: Wednesday, February 25, 2009, 6:34 PM

DARE is a failure!  Why?

According to The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University:

"...from 1992 to 2003, while the U.S. population increased 14 percent, the number of 12 to 17 year olds who abused controlled prescription drugs jumped 212 percent..." 
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 "The increase in new abusers 12 to 17 years old was far greater than among adults (four times greater for opioids; three times for tranquilizers and sedatives; two and one-half times for stimulants). - From 1992 to 2002, new abuse of prescription opioids among 12 to 17 year olds was up an astounding 542 percent, more than four times the rate of increase among adults. - In 2003, 2.3 million 12 to 17 year olds (nearly one in 10) abused at least one controlled prescription drug; for 83 percent of them, the drug was opioids. - In 2003, among 12 to 17 year olds, girls were likelier than boys to abuse controlled prescription drugs (10.1 percent of girls vs. 8.6 percent of boys). - Between 1991 and 2003, rates of lifetime steroid abuse among high school students increased 126 percent, with abuse among girls up by nearly 350 percent, compared to 66 percent among boys. - Teens who abuse controlled prescription drugs are twice as likely to use alcohol, five
 times likelier to use marijuana, 12 times likelier to use heroin, 15 times likelier to use Ecstasy and 21 times likelier to use cocaine, compared to teens who do not abuse such drugs. "

------------------
Perhaps someone can offer more recent data on this trend?

Any questioning of the DEA "War On Drugs" should include data on the failure of the policies insofar as they did not prevent the dramatic increase in pharmaceutical drug abuse occurring over the past two decades.  I was amazed to discover the extent of pharmaceutical drug abuse; and even more amazed to discover how few people seem aware of the gravity of the problem.  While the DEA and US foreign policy focus on foreign sources of cocaine, heroin, cannabis, methamphetamine et. al. (Columbia, Mexico, Afghanistan...), and aggressive domestic law enforcement against these drugs and others, an epidemic of pharmaceutical drug abuse in the US has exploded.   

Note the 2005 report below from The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse that labels the problem thus: "...Prescription Drug Abuse at Epidemic Level."  In some respects, abuse of pharmaceuticals has exceeded the social harm from cocaine, heroin and some other illegal drugs.  Consider the data from this report, some of which is at the top (I recommend reading all the info at the URL below), and the commentary I will quote:

http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/167299/new_casa_report_controlled_prescription_drug_abuse_at_epidemic_level/

Under the Counter: The Diversion and Abuse of Controlled Prescription Drugs in the U.S., a 214-page CASA report detailing the findings of an exhaustive three-year study of prescription opioids (e.g., OxyContin, Vicodin), central nervous system (CNS) depressants (e.g., Valium, Xanax) and CNS stimulants (e.g., Ritalin, Adderall), found that from 1992 to 2003, while the U.S. population increased 14 percent, the number of 12 to 17 year olds who abused controlled prescription drugs jumped 212 percent and the number of adults 18 and older abusing such drugs climbed 81 percent. 

The 15.1 million Americans abusing controlled prescription drugs exceed the combined number abusing cocaine (5.9 million), hallucinogens (4.0 million), inhalants (2.1 million) and heroin (.3 million). 
"Our nation is in the throes of an epidemic of controlled prescription drug abuse and addiction," said Joseph A. Califano, Jr., CASA's chairman and president and former U.S. Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare. "While America has been congratulating itself in recent years on curbing increases in alcohol and illicit drug abuse, and in the decline in teen smoking, abuse of prescription drugs has been stealthily, but sharply, rising."

Among the report's major findings: - From 1992 to 2002, prescriptions written for controlled drugs increased more than 150 percent, almost 12 times the rate of increase in population and almost three times the rate of increase in prescriptions written for all other drugs. - From 1992 to 2003, the number of people abusing controlled prescription drugs increased seven times faster than the increase in the U.S. population. - From 1992 to 2003, abuse of controlled prescription drugs grew at a rate twice that of marijuana abuse; five times that of cocaine abuse; 60 times that of heroin abuse. - From 1992 to 2000 -- -- The number of new opioid abusers grew by 225 percent; new tranquilizer abusers, by 150 percent; new sedative abusers, by more than 125 percent; new stimulant abusers, by more than 170 percent. -- The increase in new abusers 12 to 17 years old was far greater than among adults (four times greater for opioids; three times for tranquilizers and
 sedatives; two and one-half times for stimulants). - From 1992 to 2002, new abuse of prescription opioids among 12 to 17 year olds was up an astounding 542 percent, more than four times the rate of increase among adults. - In 2003, 2.3 million 12 to 17 year olds (nearly one in 10) abused at least one controlled prescription drug; for 83 percent of them, the drug was opioids. - In 2003, among 12 to 17 year olds, girls were likelier than boys to abuse controlled prescription drugs (10.1 percent of girls vs. 8.6 percent of boys). - Between 1991 and 2003, rates of lifetime steroid abuse among high school students increased 126 percent, with abuse among girls up by nearly 350 percent, compared to 66 percent among boys. - Teens who abuse controlled prescription drugs are twice as likely to use alcohol, five times likelier to use marijuana, 12 times likelier to use heroin, 15 times likelier to use Ecstasy and 21 times likelier to use cocaine, compared to teens
 who do not abuse such drugs. 

---------------
Another study worth reading on pharmaceutical drug abuse (fatal overdoses) is sourced from JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association):
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/300/22/2613
Results  Of 295 decedents, 198 (67.1%) were men and 271 (91.9%) were aged 18 through 54 years. Pharmaceutical diversion was associated with 186 (63.1%) deaths, while 63 (21.4%) were accompanied by evidence of doctor shopping. Prevalence of diversion was greatest among decedents aged 18 through 24 years and decreased across each successive age group. Having prescriptions for a controlled substance from 5 or more clinicians in the year prior to death was more common among women (30 [30.9%]) and decedents aged 35 through 44 years (23 [30.7%]) compared with men (33 [16.7%]) and other age groups (40 [18.2%]). Substance abuse indicators were identified in 279 decedents (94.6%), with nonmedical routes of exposure and illicit contributory drugs particularly prevalent among drug diverters. Multiple contributory substances were implicated in 234 deaths (79.3%). Opioid analgesics were taken by 275 decedents (93.2%), of whom only 122 (44.4%) had ever been
 prescribed these drugs. 
Conclusion  The majority of overdose deaths in West Virginia in 2006 were associated with nonmedical use and diversion of pharmaceuticals, primarily opioid analgesics. 
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