NC treatment needs shift from alcohol to drugs

RALEIGH — A federal agency says more North Carolina residents are seeking treatment for abuse of drugs such as cocaine and prescription painkillers.

The News & Observer of Raleigh reported Tuesday that the trend marks a shift away from treatment for abuse of alcohol. The data came from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Wake Forest University pharmacology professor David Friedman says the trend shows what he knows — that substance abusers move from alcohol to harder drugs because they feel them more quickly.

Experts also say abuse of prescription drugs often begins when a patient gets powerful painkillers for a medical condition.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)