So they're blaming the Mexicans once again. . .

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/03/26/drug.trends/index.html?hpt=T2

. . .for our country's problems with drug abuse, that is.

To give it credit, the article does include a few blitherings about the problems we are having with prescription drug abuse, including a statistic about "codeine and methadone sparking a 98 percent rise in overdose deaths between 2002 and 2006". However, what it doesn't mention is that prescription drug abuse is not only a "great concern", it is currently a much bigger concern than illegal drug abuse (aka, those drugs coming into the U.S. from Mexico, Canada, and other foreign nations).

In a statement made by the Director of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), Nora D. Volkow, M.D., on "Scientific Research on Prescription Drug Abuse" in 2008, statistics were included from a study done by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) which was conducted by HHS's Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) which showed that, "In 2006, 2.2 million persons aged 12 and over initiated abuse of pain relievers in the past year". (http://www.hhs.gov/asl/testify/2008/03/t20080312a.html)

I'll ask you to click on that link to the statement so that you can take a good look at the bar graph labeled, "Past Year Initiates for Specific Illicit Drugs among Persons Aged 12 or Older: 2006".

Do you see what I'm getting at here?

You got it. The initiate numbers for pain relievers (aka prescription drugs and OTC medications) far exceed the initiate numbers for heroin, ecstasy, cocaine, and most other non-prescription, illegal drugs that are "coming into our borders".

And marijuana? Yes, it's neck and neck with pain relievers. . . but depending on your perspective, some say its overuse wreaks less havoc on the body than other patented and illegal pain relievers (what's worse, problems with your lungs or problems with your liver, stomach, and kidneys).

Aim and blame towards the people you really need to, folks. I'll give you a hint. . . they're located within our own borders.