New Nonmedical Users of Prescription Pain Relievers Outnumbered New Marijuana Users

SAMHSA reports that:

Misuse of prescription drugs is second only to marijuana as the nation’s most prevalent drug problem, and the annual average number of people using pain relievers non-medically for the first time exceeds the number of new marijuana users according to a study released today by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Most young people aged 12 to 17 get these drugs from friends or family members, not the Internet.

The most troubling aspect of this is the fact that prescription opiates are expensive and people who begin to develop problems with them often start using heroin as a less expensive alternative.