Who Is at Risk

• Men ages 25 to 54 have the highest numbers of prescription drug overdoses, and are about twice as likely to die from an overdose than women. CDC
   

• Prescription drug abuse by women is rapidly rising. About 18 women die each day from prescription painkiller overdoses. CDC
   

• Prescription drug abuse in women can cause neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) in newborns. CDC
   

• Children visit emergency departments twice as often for medication poisoning than for poisonings from household products. Pediatrics
   

• Adults and teens in rural counties are about twice as likely to overdose on prescription drugs than people living in cities. CDC
   

• Youth are at higher risk for all forms of drug misuse. One in four teens has misused or abused a prescription drug at least once in their lifetime. DrugFree.org
   

• Teens’ ease of access to prescription medicines in the home is a key factor in drug misuse and abuse. DrugFree.org
   

• Soldiers and veterans surviving serious injuries are at increased risk for abuse of prescription painkillers. JAMA
   

• Overuse of prescription painkillers for occupational injuries is becoming an epidemic in workers’ compensation systems. ACOEM