Tyrone Reid, Sunday Gleaner Reporter

Painkillers are the pill of choice for abusers of prescription drugs in Jamaica.

The worrying statistic was revealed in a countrywide study conducted in 2001, which revealed that approximately 40 per cent of respondents admitted to misusing painkillers that required a prescription. The report also highlighted that members of the gentler sex abused the pain relievers more than their male counterparts.

"Unlike with other drugs, females were more likely to use painkillers than males," read a section of the study.

Dr Sheila Campbell-Forrester, chief medical officer in the Ministry of Health, told The Sunday Gleaner that the fact that women are consuming more painkillers than men is an understandable statistic. "Period pains could lead to the abuse of painkillers ... . For relief, you would find some (women) would overuse," she said.

Female consumption

Dr David Tavares, a clinical pharmacist at the Hilton's Pharmacy in Montego Bay, said in addition to the pains associated with menstruation, women's bodies were ostensibly more prone to pain. "Women are presenting with more conditions that require pain relief than men," said Dr Tavares. As an example, he pointed out that during his almost two decades as a practising pharmacist, he had seen more women with migraine and tension headaches than men.

The report, entitled National Household Survey of Drug Use and Abuse in Jamaica, 2001, was commissioned by the National Council on Drug Abuse (NCDA). It revealed that one in every three persons interviewed at the time said they had used "unprescribed drugs" in the past year. "The vast majority of those who did so (approximately 99 per cent) used painkillers," the report said.

Statistics

"Respondents were questioned about painkillers which required a prescription, not the over-the-counter variety. Four in every 10 persons indicated that at sometime, they had taken painkillers that had not been prescribed for them," the report said.

The national study, published in November 2002, also stated that one in three persons had used painkillers in the past year, while one in six had used them in the past month. "In terms of age, painkiller users were similar to users of other drugs, as usage peaked in the 18-24 age group and declined as persons grew older," the report said.

Tiana Thomas, pharmacist at Moodies Pharmacy in New Kingston, explained that quite a few painkillers and some cough syrups contained a substance called codeine that has the potential to give a lift.

"It can give the patient a kind of high," she said.

tyrone.reid@gleanerjm.com