Prescription drug abuse is a major point of focus for our blog, as it is a problem the scope of which is still not fully understood.  Florida has received a lot of attention for its pain clinics, but it seems the areas in which prescription drugs are mostly abused are rural (which should come as no surprise to the viewer of the OxyContin Express).

According to a new study that will appear in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine (see Science Daily for the full article), rural teens are more likely to abuse prescription drugs.  With adjustments for other factors made, the study found that rural teens were 26 percent more likely than urban teens to admit to prescription drug abuse.

In general, 1 in 8 teens reported prescription drug abuse at some point in their lives, itself a rather alarming statistic.  The study suggests that the greater tendency toward prescription drug use in rural areas may be the result of a lack of availability of similar illegal drugs, such as heroin.

While a heroin shortage in rural communities may sound like a good thing, it doesn’t seem like, based on these statistics, the country life is simpler or free of drug use.  In fact, not only is prescription drug use a problem in rural communities, but treating it may be more difficult than it would be in an urban community.  Rural teens may be less likely or have a harder time finding places that will help them deal with a substance abuse problem.  It is possible that their communities do not have the same awareness level as do larger communities or have the same ability to deal with a local drug problem.

We have documented extensively in our blog that prescription drug abuse can have as many consequences as illegal drug abuse.  For parents and policymakers alike, it’s something to think about.