Painkillers: Opioid Use Higher Among Teens In Rural Areas

A study published in the Journal of Rural Health examines how teens in rural areas are abusing painkillers.

Researchers found that adolescents between 12 and 17 in rural communities were 35 percent more likely to abuse prescription painkillers in the past than those living in large cities. Furthermore, those in small cities were also about 21 percent more likely to abuse prescription painkillers than counterparts in urban areas, with females more likely than male counterparts to do so, as well. 

"Over 1.3 million adolescents abused prescription opioids within the last year," said Shannon Monnat, in a news release. She is an assistant professor of rural sociology, demography, and sociology at Penn State. "With this number of adolescents there are major implications for increased treatment demand, risk of overdose and even death from these opioids."

The painkillers that adolescents tended to abuse included OxyContin, oxycodone, Percocet and other morphine-based drugs.

Researchers believe that several things may explain the higher use of painkillers in rural areas, including higher numbers of painkiller prescriptions written for adolescents as well as limited types of medical care available in rural areas. For instance, those living in rural areas are also more likely to go to emergency rooms for care instead of a primary care practitioner.

Painkillers are particularly dangerous because opioid abuse may not be as evident as other forms of substance abuse, such as alcohol.

"Some parents don't even know their children are addicted to painkillers because their kids are functioning well in everyday life," said Monnat. "Opioid abuse is different from drinking, for example, because parents can usually tell if their child is drunk, and it's even different from marijuana use because there are behavioral differences that they may be able to notice if their kid is smoking weed."

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