The study of more than 1,500 people reveals almost half (46%) of the respondents do not understand that prescription opioid painkiller abuse is as harmful as heroin abuse in terms of how it affects the brain and body.
The survey also identifies that nearly 4 in 10 surveyed know someone personally who has abused opioid painkillers.
Edwin A. Salsitz, MD, of Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City, and a practicing clinician on addiction and treatment for opioid dependence, says, "The public is just beginning to understand opioid dependence as a disease. We need to educate consumers about all treatment options, including office-based medical therapy which allows opioid dependence to be treated with the same privacy and discretion that's given to other chronic diseases like diabetes or high blood pressure."
