Survey looks at effects of prescription painkiller abuse

Nearly four in 10 people – 39% – know someone who has been addicted to prescription painkillers, including 25% who say it was a close friend or family member and 2% who acknowledge their own addiction, according to a new poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation. According to the poll, 6% said they had taken a prescription painkiller that was not prescribed to them, 16% reported knowing a person who died from an overdose of pain medication, and 9% said they had lost a relative or good friend to an overdose. According to the poll, whites are more likely than blacks or Hispanics to report a personal connection to prescription painkillers. Large majorities say a number of efforts would be effective in reducing painkiller abuse, including treatment programs, 85%, monitoring doctors’ prescribing habits, 82%, public education programs, 80%, training doctors, 79%, and encouraging people to appropriately dispose of leftover medication, 69%.