Researchers have learned that there is a distinct connection between the growing epidemic of prescription drug abuse and the access to the internet and the presence of online pharmacies. The researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital and the University of Southern California noted that the states where access to high speed internet increased at great speed between the period of 2000 to 2007 also saw the largest spike in the number of people getting treatment for prescription
drug addiction.
"We know we face a growing problem with prescription drug abuse in the United States. One need only look at statistics for college campuses, where prescription drugs are fast replacing illegal substances, to see the magnitude of the problem. Our findings suggest that Internet growth may partly explain the increase in prescription drug abuse, since it is well know that these drugs are easily available online," said lead researcher Dana Goldman, Ph.D.
There was a noted connection between the growing problem of prescription drug addiction and the increase of online pharmacies. Many of these online pharmacies sell drugs like Oxycontin and Percocet without a prescription from a physician. There was a noted 10 percent increase in availability of high-speed Internet in each state that was matched by a 1 percent increase in admission to drug
treatment centers for an addiction to prescription drugs.
The researchers used information from the Federal Communications Commission and looked at each individual state and its citizens' access to high-speed Internet service. The researchers also collected information about admissions to drug treatment centers from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHA).
