EPIDEMIC:RESPONDING TO AMERICA’S PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE CRISIS
"Prescription drug abuse is the Nation’s fastest-growing drug problem. While there has been a marked decrease in the use of some illegal drugs like cocaine, data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) show that nearly one-third of people aged 12 and over who used drugs for the irst time in 2009 began by using a prescription drug non-medically.1 The same survey found that over 70 percent
of people who abused prescription pain relievers got them from friends or relatives, while approximately 5 percent got them from a drug dealer or from the Internet.2 Additionally, the latest Monitoring the Future study—the Nation’s largest survey of drug use among young people—showed that prescription drugs are the second most-abused category of drugs after marijuana.3 In our military, illicit drug use increased from 5 percent to 12 percent among active duty service members over a three-year period
from 2005 to 2008, primarily attributed to prescription drug abuse..."

Director Highlights New Approach to Drug Control in the United States and throughout the Western Hemisphere
"Earlier this week, Director Gil Kerlikowske addressed the 47th Regular Session of the Organization of American States Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (known by its Spanish acronym, CICAD). As the Obama Administration prepares to release its new National Drug Control Strategy, CICAD has also been developing a multilateral drug strategy for the Western Hemisphere. Director Kerlikowske discussed the complementary relationship of the two strategies, both of which address new threats, utilize new tools and understanding, and seek to strengthen the bonds of international cooperation. The Director also discussed key issues on the agenda for the CICAD meeting, including drugged driving and community-based approaches to prevention, treatment, and recovery..."

Read the Director's remarks