What is prescription drug abuse?
The use of prescription medication to create an altered state, to get high, or for reasons — or by people — other than those intended by the prescribing doctor.
How many teens are doing this?
According to research conducted by Partnership for Drug-Free Kids (as well as other reputable national studies) as many as one in five teens say they have taken a prescription drug without having a prescription for it themselves. This behavior cuts across geographic, racial, ethnic and socioeconomic boundaries.
Why are some teens doing this?
For a variety of reasons. To party and get high, in some cases, but also to
“manage” or “regulate” their lives. They’re abusing some stimulants such as Ritalin and Adderall to give them additional
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They’re abusing prescription amphetamines to lose weight, or prescription steroids to bulk up.
What are the risks?
There are both acute (immediate) and longer term risks. In the short term, overdosing (especially on prescription pain relievers) can be fatal, as can mixing prescription drugs with over-the-counter medication and/or alcohol. In the longer term, prescription opioids (pain relievers) and other prescription medicines are potentially addictive. Coming to rely at a young age on prescription medicine (or any drug) to “manage” your life risks establishing a learned, lifelong pattern of dependency and limitation and prevents learning coping skills.
Where are teens getting these prescription drugs?
The vast majority of teens abusing prescription drugs are getting them from the medicine cabinets of friends, family and acquaintances. Some teens traffic among themselves – handing out or selling
“extra” pills of their own, or pills they’ve acquired or stolen from classmates. A very small minority of teens say they get their prescription drugs illicitly from doctors, pharmacists or over the internet.
Are parents educating their children about the risks of this