Millennials One Up On Baby Boomers In Shunning Opioid Addiction: Study

In the battle between different generations, the millennials just scored a big point over the baby boomers. A survey commissioned by the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) has revealed that millennials are half as likely as previous generations to choose opioid-based pain medication.

Lifestyle changes such as exercising, eating right, quitting smoking and losing weight, are preferred over opioids by millennials to handle pain, according to the nationwide survey which was conducted to coincide with September's Pain Awareness Month.

Gen Y is often considered much more pampered than their previous generation. Often sidelined as reckless, this survey reveals that when it comes to drugs to manage pain, the young stay away from addictive opioid-based painkillers.

This comes as a bigger surprise when we take into consideration the sedentary lifestyle millennials have been subjected to. The switch from physically strenuous work to long hours in front of a computer over time has added to more chronic pain at an earlier age. This non-dependency actually deviates from the expected trend, where more pain leads to more abuse.

But while the results reflect a positive trend, they also reveal a knowledge gap. The survey found that 10 percent of millennials were more likely to obtain opioids through another household member's prescription. They are 18 percent more likely to take an opioid without a prescription and less likely to dispose of leftover opioids safely.

In fact, one in five millennials said they "did not know" the best way to safely dispose of opioids, and only 37 percent were aware that a collection center at a local police station, hospital pharmacy or drug store was the best method of disposal, said the study.

"It's encouraging that millennials see the value of opting for safer and often more effective methods of managing pain," said ASA President Jeffrey Plagenhoef, M.D., in the study report. "But clearly they are in need of further education when it comes to opioids and chronic pain because using the drugs initially to treat pain can turn into a lifelong struggle with addiction."

Learning how to manage pain safely and effectively is vital, said the study. Seventy-five percent of millennials say they have had acute pain (which comes on suddenly and lasts less than three months) and nearly 60 percent have experienced chronic pain (which lasts longer than three months). The source of that pain is reflective of millennials' lifestyle, including technology use (leading to eye strain, neck aches, hand or finger pain, wrist or arm pain), migraines and sports injuries.

The general preference given to countering the problem without the need for opioids is the best option. Healthy lifestyle changes can reverse the effects of our sedentary lifestyle. Early onset of chronic pain can be avoided, and this study provides a target for each generation and where scrutiny must be exercised.

What is surprising is that Gen Y who grew up in the information age, lack information and the widely perceived as level-headed baby boomers preferred the quick fix to a healthier option. This goes to show how wrong generational stereotypes can be and also opens ways in which we study and treat different classifications of people.