There isn’t much attention paid to prescription drug abuse, except perhaps when a Hollywood star dies from an overdose. However, it is estimated that nearly one in five Americans have used prescription drugs for nonmedicinal reasons, and 15 percent may be abusing prescription drugs. This silent epidemic has become the leading cause of addiction.
https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bs-ed-prescrption-drug-abuse-20100421,0,6657110.story