It has been reported that an estimated 48 million people in the United States have used prescription drugs non-medically.
The greatest increases of fatal drug overdoses are not in urban areas, but in rural areas, with West Virginia showing the greatest increase at 550% from 1999 to 2004.
Teenagers and the elderly are the most vulnerable populations to prescription drug abuse. Over 1/3 of all elderly being prescribed medication will not follow the directions properly, leading to tolerance, dependence, and addiction.
