Growing Internet use may help explain the rise in prescription drug abuse in the United States

Abstract

The rising availability through the Internet of commonly abused prescription drugs has raised public health concerns. We examined whether the growth of US prescription drug abuse may be explained by the parallel growth in high-speed Internet use. We find that for every 10 percent increase in high-speed Internet use at the state level, associated treatment facility admissions for prescription drug abuse rose by 1 percent. Admissions for abuse of alcohol, cocaine, and heroin, which are not readily purchased online, had minimal or negative growth during the same period. The results suggest that better surveillance of online prescription drug sales is warranted, and aggressive efforts to curb illegitimate online pharmacies may be necessary.

Exhibit 1

Relationship between high-speed internet growth and growth in alcohol and narcotic admissions to U.S. substance abuse treatment facilities, 2000 - 2007 Source: Authors analysis of data from Federal Communications Commission (data on internet growth) and U.S. Dept of Health Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration Treatment Episode Data Set (data on substance abuse growth) Notes: Figure plots the percentage growth in alcohol and prescription narcotic admissions to U.S. subtance abuse treatment facilities against states in increasing order of percentage internet growth from 2000-2007. Fitted lines for alcohol and prescription narcotics are included.