More than one in four Americans — including more than a third of millennials — know someone who is or has been been addicted to opioids or prescription painkillers, according to a new national poll released by the American Psychiatric Association Monday.
The poll was conducted April 24-27 and includes responses from 1,000 American adults.
Here are five findings from the survey.
1. Easy access: Among those surveyed, 39 percent reported it would be extremely or somewhat easy for members of their community to obtain illegal opioids. Among millennial respondents, 46 percent said illicitly obtaining opioids would be easy in their communities.
2. Without a prescription: While 87 percent of respondents said it was bad to take prescription drugs without a prescription. However, the responses varied by age 18 percent of millennials respondents said it's not bad to take a prescription drug without a prescription.
3. Recovery: While a majority of Americans (73 percent) believe individuals can recover from opioid addiction, only 20 percent of respondents said the nation is heading in the right direction in terms of addressing the crisis.
4. Treatment over punishment: Fifty-eight percent of respondents said policy makers should prioritize access to treatment when working to address the drug epidemic, while twenty-six percent said policymakers should focus on implementing more punitive repercussions to solve the crisis.
5. Understanding: Sixty-nine percent of Americans sampled in the survey said they "understand how someone accidentally gets addicted to opioids."
"Our poll findings show that Americans are aware of the problem of opioid addiction, believe people can recover and want to see an emphasis on making treatment available," said Saul Levin, MD, CEO and medical director for the APA, according to HealthDay News.
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