Teens in rural area more likely than city kids to misuse prescription medication

By Staff Writer

A recent study reveals that teenagers who live in rural areas are more likely to abuse prescribed medication than children living in or near cities.

According to new research published in the journal Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 13 percent of children who live in rural neighborhoods said that they had experimented with pills that they were not prescribed, Time reports. Only 10 percent of city teens said they had tried prescription medication without a doctor's order.

The study, which was conducted by researchers from the University of Kentucky, found certain trends that led to less pill use. In rural areas, adolescents who lived in two-parent households were 32 percent less likely to misuse prescription drugs than those with one parent. In cities, kids who stayed in school had better physical and mental health, and were less likely to experiment with medications.

The survey included 17,872 teens ages 12 to 17.

According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, prescription abuse by teens exceeds marijuana use. There are as many new abusers ages 12 and older of pain relievers as there are for marijuana.