Teenage Prescription Drugs

While rates of teen use of illicit drugs have declined in recent years, rates of teen use of prescription drugs are on the rise. More teens today say it is easier for them to acquire prescription drugs that are powerful painkillers, than it is to buy beer, according to the 13th annual survey on attitudes about drug abuse, from the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) almost 1 in 10 high school seniors admit to having abused Vicodin to get high, and almost 1 in 20 seniors admit to having abused OxyContin. Amongst high school seniors, of the 14 most commonly abused illicit drugs, 8 are prescription medications (in order of use: Vicodin, amphetamines, tranquilizers, cough medicine, Adderall, sedatives, OxyContin, Ritalin). Only marijuana is abused more often than Vicodin.

Long-term use of opioids or central nervous system depressants can lead to physical dependence and addiction. Opioids can cause drowsiness, confusion, constipation and depending on amount taken, can depress breathing. Central nervous system depressants slow down brain function, cause confusion and lead to poor judgment. If combined with alcohol or with other medications that cause drowsiness, heart rate and respiration can slow down dangerously. Taken repeatedly or in high doses, stimulants can cause anxiety, paranoia, dangerously high body temperatures, irregular heartbeat, or seizures, as well as weight loss and insomnia. In 2008, nearly 2 million youth aged 12 to 17 abused prescription drugs, with 1.6 million abusing a prescription pain medication. That makes painkillers among the most commonly abused drugs by teens after tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana.

Problems with prescription drug abuse occur both in the home and school setting. CASA found that 54% of teens who admitted to abusing prescription drugs say they got them for free from a family member or friend. In fact, each day an average of 2,000 teenagers age 12 to 17 used a prescription drug without a doctor’s guidance for the first time. Many people underestimate the risks associated with the use of opiates like Vicodin or OxyContin or stimulants like Adderall or Ritalin, but the reality is that these prescription medications are very similar in chemical profile, effects and risks to ‘street drugs’ like cocaine or heroin. To prevent adolescents from getting prescription medications from their homes, parents need to keep track of their medications, limit teens’ access to medications, and throw out old unused medications. Furthermore, studies show that teens whose parents talk to them on a regular basis about the dangers of using drugs are 42% less likely to use drugs than teens whose parentsdon’t talk to their kids about drugs.

The problem continues at school with 60% of teens admitting that drugs were sold, used or kept at school. The NIDA-funded 2010 Monitoring the Future Study showed that 2.7% of 8th graders, 7.7% of 10th graders, and 8.0% of 12th graders had abused Vicodin and 2.1% of 8th graders, 4.6% of 10th graders, and 5.1% of 12th graders had abused OxyContin for nonmedical purposes at least once in the year prior to being surveyed. Certain behaviors, such as taking higher doses than prescribed, seeking prescriptions from more than one doctor, “losing” prescriptions so further prescriptions must be written, and stealing, forging or selling prescriptions are often indicators of a drug abuse problem, as well as excessive mood swings and appearing unusually energetic or sedated.