Prescription Drug Abuse Is A Serious Problem Among Teenagers and Young Adults

One of the fastest growing types of drugs abused by teenagers and young adults today is prescription medications. More and more kids are sneaking into their parents’ medicine cabinets and bedside tables and taking whatever they find there in the way of prescription narcotics and opiate painkillers. These medications are readily available, inexpensive, and perceived by many teens to be perfectly safe.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has been increasingly concerned with the high rate of prescription drug abuse, especially among adolescents and young adults. NIDA’s most recent Monitoring the Future study found in 2008 that nearly one in 10 high school seniors reported abusing Vicodin within the past year, and nearly one in 20 reported abusing OxyContin. Moreover, of the top 11 drugs most commonly abused by high school seniors, seven are either prescribed or purchased over the counter.

Both Vicodin and OxyContin are now more popular among high school seniors than Ecstasy and Cocaine. Ritalin and Adderall, used most often to treat Attention-Deficit-Disorder, are also being abused at an alarming rate. Even drugs you might not associate with “getting high,” such as those used to treat Anxiety Disorders such as Xanax or Valium, are prime targets for teens.

Many teenages think these drugs are safe because they have legitimate uses, but taking them without a prescription to get high or “self-medicate” can be as dangerous - and addictive - as using street narcotics and other illicit drugs.

Many of the same environmental problems that contribute to high-risk alcohol use also contribute to the abuse of prescription medication. Students are unable to find healthy ways to deal with stress and other mental health issues and believe that using prescription drugs inappropriately is socially acceptable and safer than the abuse of other illicit substances.

Despite studies showing that abuse of prescription drugs can lead to addiction, paranoia, seizures or even death, many teenagers mistakenly believe that taking prescription and over-the-counter drugs is safer than using illicit drugs. As a result, they are increasingly raiding their home medicine cabinets in search of the next high.

Prescription drug addiction is affecting teenagers across cultures, gender, and class. This epidemic is on the rise, and will continue its upward trend until both teens and parents realize the devastating effect these drugs can have. If you have a loved one or family member who is struggling with prescription drug abuse, please contact us at Creative Care for more information.

Labels: Adderall, Anxiety-Disorders, Attention-Deficit-Disorder, Cocaine, Ecstacy, Oxycontin, Prescription-Drug-Abuse, Prescription-Medications, Ritalin, Vicodin, Xanax