Professor’s study looks at rise in abuse of prescription drugs

Miech

Richard Miech, professor of health and behavioral sciences in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Colorado Denver, presented the statistics and analysis of his recent study in a lecture at the Population Center at the University of Texas at Austin.

As reported by The Daily Texan, Miech’s study shows marijuana use declining and prescription drug abuse skyrocketing. The study, titled “Trends in Illegal Drug Use Over the Past 25 Years: A Cohort or Period Process?,” has revealed a decrease in the use of marijuana and cocaine in every generation since the 1960s, along with a large increase in the abuse of prescription medication by young people. Miech explains that his presentation was a compilation of multiple studies he’s submitted separately for peer-review. One paper on marijuana use is scheduled for publication in Drug and Alcohol Dependence.