14 DAY TRIAL // Scientists at the Michigan State University say that painkillers are misused by the general population, but they reveal that young people are more likely to use these drugs for purposes other than their intended ones. This risk peaks around the age of 16, the team found in a new study.
A paper detailing the findings is published in the latest issue of the esteemed journal Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. Painkiller abuse is widespread in people between the ages of 12 and 21. Around 1 in 60 individuals in this age group exhibits this dangerous behavior, PsychCentral reports.
What I find particularly worrying about this research is that it was conducted on a very large study sample, of around 120,000 teenagers in the United States. Its conclusions appear to indicate that prevention programs need to be introduced in schools in early adolescence.
“With the peak risk at age 16 years and a notable acceleration in risk between ages 13 and 14 years, any strict focus on college students or 12th graders might be an example of too little too late,” explains MSU Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics expert, James C. Anthony, PhD.