Health News
- Poll Indicates Northern Kentucky Is Having A Heroin Epidemic
A poll indicates that Northern Kentucky is the hotbed for heroin use in the state, which has increased since the state legislature cracked down on abuse of prescription painkillers. The Kentucky Health Issues Poll, conducted Oct. 25 through Nov. 26, found...
- Foundation Breaks Down Poll By Region To Show Differences Among Kentuckians' Views On Health Topics And Issues
The Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky has released regional breakdowns of the Kentucky Health Issues Poll, conducted for it and the Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati last fall. Each breakdown outlines respondents? answers to various KHIP questions...
- Most Kentucky Adults Don't Know That Drug Overdose Is The Leading Cause Of Death In The State, But Those In The East Do
Drug overdoses, driven largely by prescription drug abuse, overtook motor vehicle accidents as the leading cause of unintentional deaths in Kentucky back in 2010 and remain the state's leading cause of death. From 2000 to 2010, the number of drug-overdose...
- 4 Of 5 Kentuckians Think Child Obesity Is A Problem, And More Than Half Favor A Statewide Smoking Ban, Poll Finds
More than four out of five Kentuckians think too many children are overweight, and more than half want a statewide smoking ban. These are two of key findings of the Kentucky Health Issues Poll, which also asked respondents about prescription drug abuse,...
- Nearly 1 In 3 Kentuckians Say They Know A Friend Or Relative Who Has Struggled With Prescription-pill Abuse, Poll Finds
Almost one in three Kentuckians say they have a friend or relative that has had problems stemming from prescription drug abuse, the Kentucky Health Issues Poll has found. In Eastern Kentucky, 43.2 percent of respondents said "yes" when asked if a family...
Health News
Poll shows depth of prescription drug abuse in Kentucky
By Molly Burchett and Al Cross
Kentucky Health News
One-third of Kentucky adults have friends or relatives who have experienced problems from abusing prescription pain relievers, and 8 percent have used pain medicine when it wasn't prescribed or for the feeling it caused, according to a statewide poll conducted last fall.
The Kentucky Health Issues Poll found that in Eastern Kentucky, 45 percent reported that prescription drug abuse have caused problems for friends or family members. In the 17-county Bluegrass Area Development District, which includes some Appalachian counties, the figure was 37 percent. It was 32 percent in Northern Kentucky, 31 percent in the seven-county Louisville area and 25 percent in Western Kentucky.
The poll found that young adults are more likely to have the problem. Among those 18 to 29 years old, 13 percent said they had used pain medicine when it wasn't prescribed or for the feeling it caused, and 49 percent said they had a friend or relative who had been affected.
The Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, which co-sponsored the poll, noted that drug-overdose deaths in Kentucky correspond to a steep increase in the sales of opioid prescription pain relievers, which include OxyContin, Vicodin, Percocet and codeine. More than half of Kentucky adults in the poll reported being prescribed such drugs.
?While these types of medications are important for controlling pain in patients who need them, opioids also carry the potential for abuse,? said Dr. Susan Zepeda, President and CEO of the foundation. ?Our state ranks sixth in the nation for prescription pain reliever overdose deaths, and these data provide a window on how many Kentuckians are impacted ? directly or indirectly ? by prescription misuse.? (Read more)
The poll was conducted for the foundation and The Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati from Sept. 20 through Oct. 14 by the Institute for Policy Research at the University of Cincinnati. A random sample of 1,680 adults throughout Kentucky was interviewed by landline and cell telephones. The poll's margin of error is plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.
Kentucky Health News is an independent service of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues at the University of Kentucky, with support from the Foundation for a Health Kentucky.
Kentucky Health News
One-third of Kentucky adults have friends or relatives who have experienced problems from abusing prescription pain relievers, and 8 percent have used pain medicine when it wasn't prescribed or for the feeling it caused, according to a statewide poll conducted last fall.
The Kentucky Health Issues Poll found that in Eastern Kentucky, 45 percent reported that prescription drug abuse have caused problems for friends or family members. In the 17-county Bluegrass Area Development District, which includes some Appalachian counties, the figure was 37 percent. It was 32 percent in Northern Kentucky, 31 percent in the seven-county Louisville area and 25 percent in Western Kentucky.
The Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, which co-sponsored the poll, noted that drug-overdose deaths in Kentucky correspond to a steep increase in the sales of opioid prescription pain relievers, which include OxyContin, Vicodin, Percocet and codeine. More than half of Kentucky adults in the poll reported being prescribed such drugs.
?While these types of medications are important for controlling pain in patients who need them, opioids also carry the potential for abuse,? said Dr. Susan Zepeda, President and CEO of the foundation. ?Our state ranks sixth in the nation for prescription pain reliever overdose deaths, and these data provide a window on how many Kentuckians are impacted ? directly or indirectly ? by prescription misuse.? (Read more)
The poll was conducted for the foundation and The Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati from Sept. 20 through Oct. 14 by the Institute for Policy Research at the University of Cincinnati. A random sample of 1,680 adults throughout Kentucky was interviewed by landline and cell telephones. The poll's margin of error is plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.
Kentucky Health News is an independent service of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues at the University of Kentucky, with support from the Foundation for a Health Kentucky.
- Poll Indicates Northern Kentucky Is Having A Heroin Epidemic
A poll indicates that Northern Kentucky is the hotbed for heroin use in the state, which has increased since the state legislature cracked down on abuse of prescription painkillers. The Kentucky Health Issues Poll, conducted Oct. 25 through Nov. 26, found...
- Foundation Breaks Down Poll By Region To Show Differences Among Kentuckians' Views On Health Topics And Issues
The Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky has released regional breakdowns of the Kentucky Health Issues Poll, conducted for it and the Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati last fall. Each breakdown outlines respondents? answers to various KHIP questions...
- Most Kentucky Adults Don't Know That Drug Overdose Is The Leading Cause Of Death In The State, But Those In The East Do
Drug overdoses, driven largely by prescription drug abuse, overtook motor vehicle accidents as the leading cause of unintentional deaths in Kentucky back in 2010 and remain the state's leading cause of death. From 2000 to 2010, the number of drug-overdose...
- 4 Of 5 Kentuckians Think Child Obesity Is A Problem, And More Than Half Favor A Statewide Smoking Ban, Poll Finds
More than four out of five Kentuckians think too many children are overweight, and more than half want a statewide smoking ban. These are two of key findings of the Kentucky Health Issues Poll, which also asked respondents about prescription drug abuse,...
- Nearly 1 In 3 Kentuckians Say They Know A Friend Or Relative Who Has Struggled With Prescription-pill Abuse, Poll Finds
Almost one in three Kentuckians say they have a friend or relative that has had problems stemming from prescription drug abuse, the Kentucky Health Issues Poll has found. In Eastern Kentucky, 43.2 percent of respondents said "yes" when asked if a family...