New ONDCP Plan to Reduce the Abuse of Prescription Drugs Released
Each week, the Higher Education Center showcases recent developments in the field of AOD abuse and violence prevention in higher education that may include new data and resources, upcoming events and programs, funding opportunities, and learning opportunities. To see a listing of previous This Week! features, visit the This Week! archive.
July 1, 2011
The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), along with federal agency partners, has announced the release of a sweeping new plan to reduce the abuse of prescription drugs, the fastest-growing drug problem in the United States. The plan, Epidemic: Responding to America’s Prescription Drug Abuse Crisis, was released April 19, 2011, in Washington, D.C., and includes the following components:
- Education
- Monitoring
- Proper medication disposal
- Enforcement
Prescription drug abuse is categorized as a public health epidemic by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In recent years, the number of individuals who, for the first time, consumed prescription drugs for a nonmedical purpose was similar to the number of first-time marijuana users. The 2010 Monitoring the Future study, a national survey on youth drug use, found that 6 of the top 10 substances used by 12th graders were pharmaceuticals, due to easy accessibility and a diminished perception of risk.
To read the complete release, visit the ONDCP Web site.