Abusers of prescription drugs nearly doubled to over 15 million from 1992 to 2003, with abuse among teens tripling, a US study says.

    BEIJING, July 8 -- Abusers of prescription drugs nearly doubled to over 15 million from 1992 to 2003, with abuse among teens tripling, according to a US study released on Thursday.

    The report by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University suggested that more Americans were abusing controlled prescription drugs than cocaine, hallucinogens, inhalants and heroin combined.

    Of 15.1 million abusers of prescription drugs , 2.3 million are teenagers, but youngsters turn to prescription drugs at much higher rates than adults do, the study reports.

    Teens who abused drugs were twice as likely to use alcohol, five times as likely to use marijuana, 12 times likelier to use heroin and 21 times likelier to use cocaine than teens who did not abuse such drugs.

    Researchers said the increase is due largely to the ease of accessibility through the Internet and household medicine cabinets, and a perception that the drugs are safe even when abused.

    The report said hundreds of Web sites advertised and sold controlled drugs, often without prescription and without regard to age so that teens and children could easily get them.

    Some drug store chains already have tightened controls over cold and cough remedies abused by teenagers, putting them behind counters or selling only to adults.

    The study suggests broader remedies, including: improved monitoring by enforcement agents of sales and distribution, having doctors routinely ask patients about prescription drug use as they do tobacco use and improving training to detect abuse.    Enditem

(Agencies)