Political Quotes

“Mr. President, the nonmedical use and abuse of prescription drugs is a serious and growing public health problem in this country. The 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health showed that more than 15 million Americans had used prescription psychotherapeutic drugs non-medically in the past year. That is more than 6 percent of the U.S. population. More than 20 percent of Americans had abused these drugs during their lifetime. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Agency, SAMHSA, estimates that half a million residents in my home State of Illinois are using prescription drugs illegally and in ways that can lead to dependence and even death. Since 1999, abuse, misuse, and overdose of prescription drugs has increased, and the health consequences are significant. Each year, more than 20,000 people in the United States die from drug overdose. Illinois hospitals report an increase in patients visiting Emergency Departments because of prescription drug misuse. From 2003 to 2007, Chicago area hospitals saw the number of visits for pain medication misuse more than double and visits for sedative misuse quadruple. The trends among teens are especially worrisome. Prescription pain relievers are the second most common drugs used as gateway drugs among teens. Over the past decade, there has been a 300 percent increase in the number of teens seeking treatment for addiction to prescription painkillers.…”