Southern States Prescribe the Most Narcotic Painkillers: CDC

A report released Tuesday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has stated that many health officials in the country are overprescribing painkillers. Due to a spike in opioids, there is a greater potential for drug abuse and addiction. 

"The bottom line is we're not seeing consistent, effective, appropriate prescribing of painkillers across the nation, and this is a problem because of the deaths that result," said Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the CDC, said at a news conference, via WebMD.

The report showed that in 2012 alone, close to 259 million prescriptions for painkillers were written out by health officials.

"That's enough for every American adult to have their own bottle of pills," Frieden said, via CBS News.

However, more areas seem to be taking a greater hit than others. Several southern states have been titled the highest for prescribing narcotic painkillers, particularly in Alabama, Tennessee and West Virginia. However, parts of the Northeast have also dealt with similar issues. Both Maine and New Hampshire are known for giving the most prescriptions per person for long-acting/extended-release painkillers and high-dose painkillers, according to the report. 

As abuse of painkillers can increase the risk of addiction and even result in death, in some cases, many officials believe that cracking down on prescription drug use can help solve the problem.

Previous efforts have been effective. For instance, in Florida, deaths tied to prescription drug use fell by 23 percent from 2010 to 2012 after state law enforcement effectively reduced the availability of the drugs. From 2003 to 2009, deaths tied to drug overdoses spiked 61 percent. However, from 2010 to 2012, deaths from drug overdose in general fell by about 18 percent with the help of state safety programs.

"Florida shows that policy and enforcement matter. When you take serious action, you get encouraging results," Frieden concluded.

For more information regarding the report, click here.