Teen Drug Help
Teens Swapping Prescription Drugs
Columbia University’s National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse estimates that illegal use of prescription drugs by teenagers has increased more than 200 percent in that past 15 years.
It’s been in the news often enough to no longer be news – prescription drugs are quickly becoming the adolescent’s drug of choice. For some it’s even become a moneymaker. Leftover medication, or pills “borrowed” from the parents’ medicine cabinet can often be sold for several dollars each, making it a tempting business venture.
Newspapers across the country have, in recent months, featured numerous stories about teenagers who were arrested for selling prescription drugs. These young people now face the possibility not only of expensive monetary fines, but of imprisonment.
Those who don’t sell pills often swap them with friends, trading an opiate like Vicodin for a stimulant like Ritalin. While some do it for the “high,” others use them to increase concentration, to keep them awake so they can cram for a test, or to help them fall asleep.
More and more teenagers are drawn to prescription drugs because of a misconception that they’re safer than illegal drugs. Few teens are aware of the dangers inherent in taking medications that were prescribed for someone else. Because these drugs are regulated, they’re assumed to be less addictive, safer, and more acceptable than street drugs like heroin or cocaine.
One of the most unusual aspects of this new trend is that it isn’t limited to one “clique” or socio-economic class. Previous trends have typically been found in one specific group; cocaine use, for example is most prevalent among upper-middle-class teenagers. But prescription drug use crosses all lines: Athletes, artists, kids in the Honor Roll Society, and kids with failing grades are all using illegal medication. Not only is the wide-ranging appeal disturbing, but it makes prevention difficult because so many types of kids are using for so many different reasons.
Parents with teenagers need to exercise caution with regard to prescription medication. If possible, all medications should be kept in a medicine cabinet or other location that can be locked. If that isn’t possible, parents need to keep careful track of their medications so they’ll know if something begins disappearing too quickly.
If a child has been prescribed medication, like Ritalin for ADHD or a painkiller because of a recent injury or surgery, parents should administer the pills themselves. Don’t just give the bottle of Vicodin to your child and let him keep it with him. Give him what he needs for the day, and no more.
Preventative measures take some extra time and can be inconvenient, but the alternative is that your child runs the risk not only of over-medicating but sharing his medicine with his friends or, worse yet, selling it.
Labels: prescription-drug-abuse, teen-drug-abuse
Prescription Drug Abuse on the Rise in Central New York
Use of illegal prescription drugs is on the rise among teens in central New York State, according to a story published this week by the Central New York News. State Trooper Jack Keller, who was interviewed for the story, reports that students as young as 12 and 13 are resorting to prescription drugs as an easy and cheap way to get high.
These drugs are cheap because many teens obtain them from their parents’ or relatives’ medicine cabinets. Teens have also been known to knock on a stranger’s door and ask to use the bathroom, and then steal prescriptions and other drugs. Keller also reports a number of cases in which teens tell realtors at open houses that their parents are on their way to look at the house, and ask if they can use the bathroom, just to steal drugs.
According to Keller, Oxycontin (a chemical relative of heroin) and Vicodin, both painkillers, are the most frequently abused drugs in local schools. Keller emphasizes that these are average kids who probably wouldn’t try cocaine or heroin because they think those drugs are too dangerous. What they don’t realize is that prescription drugs can be just as potent and dangerous.
Beth Hughes, a social worker at Liverpool High School's ninth-grade annex, reports a trend of “pill parties” being held in local homes. Teens bring their own supplies of pills and dump the pills into a common container. The teens then grab the pills like jelly beans and ingest them in random combinations and dosages. The possible consequences of this behavior are frightening and severe.
A recent national survey by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America confirms this trend. The 2008 survey found that:
• One in five teens has abused a prescription pain medication.
• One in five report abusing prescription stimulants and tranquilizers.
• One in 10 has abused cough medication.
(Source: Syracuse.com)
Labels: prescription-drug-abuse, teen-drug-abuse
Adderall: Prescription Medication Gains Popularity as Illegal Study Aid
A teen in Warren County, New York (near Albany) was arrested this week for selling his prescription medication, Adderall, to another young person. Adderall is a narcotic that is generally prescribed to treat attention deficit disorder. However, it has recently gained popularity among younger people as a study aid. The seller has been incarcerated and charged with a third-degree felony for illegal sale of a controlled substance.
According to a recent study by the University of Wisconsin, as many as one in every five college students are currently using Adderall or similar drugs as study aids. Young people who begin using these medications are typically unaware that these substances are addictive and can have significant negative side effects. Adderall is used to regulate dopamine functioning in individuals who have biological problems with this process. When used by an individual who does not have a dopamine problem, the drug acts as a potent stimulant. Many students ingest the drug in pill form, or by snorting it, to increase their focus and energy before an exam.
Individuals who are prescribed Adderall and take the medication under a doctor’s supervision rarely experience worse side effects than dry mouth, sleep disturbance, or increased heart rate. When the medication is taken without a prescription, without a doctor’s supervision, and in increased dosages, the side effects can become drastically more severe. Side effects under these circumstances may include paranoia, delusions, and stroke, among other serious health risks.
In addition, the act of snorting the drug intensifies the “rush” and may also acclimate young people to a behavior which can easily lead to the snorting other stimulants, such as cocaine.
Officials at Georgetown University believe that Adderall use and abuse is becoming a significant problem with their students and with students around the country. (Sources: CBS6.albany.com, media.www.thegeorgetownindependent.com)
Labels: prescription-drug-abuse, teen-drug-abuse
Steroid Use and Teens
Since the Major League Baseball All-Star Game was this week, it seems fitting that to do a post about teen steroid abuse. I don’t want to get in to the debate about whether baseball players really use steroids, because that’s not the point. I’m more concerned with the teen athletes who use steroids in order to boost their chances of making the team, to get the girl or guy, or to get that six-pack.
In high school, there is a lot of pressure to be the star athlete or to have the perfect body. Sometimes, this pressure just gets to be too much, and steroids are a really easy way to boost athletic performance or to get the body that you want. The great thing about steroids for a lot of teens is that they don’t even consider them to be drugs. I mean, you can get them from a doctor and pro athletes use them, so what can be so bad?
While it’s true that steroids can be prescribed by a doctor, most of the cases of steroid use that you hear about in the new and that are really harmful are unprescribed. Like the abuse of other substances, the abuse of steroids can lead to serious health problems. However, even some patients who use steroids with a prescription can have side effects.
Some of the consequences of teen steroid use include:
•heart attack and stroke
•liver and kidney damage, leading to internal bleeding
•acne, baldness, and oily hair (this might work against any hotness that you feel like you’re gaining with your steroid created “hot body”)
•for girls, steroids can result in facial hair, shrinking of breasts, and deepened voice
•for guys, steroids can result in shrinking of the testicles, development of breasts, and infertility
•steroids can also make you irritable and irrational (“roid rage”), which can result in suicidal feelings
•steroids are addictive
I think this last point is something that not everyone is aware of. Steroids are addictive, and if you stop using steroids you can experience withdrawal symptoms.
Steroids are a lot more dangerous than people think. They’re not just harmless way to bulk up. They can do serious damage physically and mentally, especially in teens who are still growing and whose brains are still developing. You may achieve the perfect body, but there is a chance that you could do damage to your body and could alienate yourself from the people that you love.
If you or someone you know has a problem with steroids or any other drug, it is important to get help.
Labels: prescription-drug-abuse, teen-addiction, teen-depression, teen-drug-abuse, teen-drug-help, teen-drug-rehab, teen-rehab, teen-substance-abuse
ADD/ADHD Drugs and Teens
Over the last couple of years, the number of teens and pre-teens diagnosed with ADD/ADHD has increased. With this increase in diagnosis, comes an increase in the prescription of drugs like Ritalin and Adderall, which are designed to treat the symptoms of ADD/ADHD. These drugs are meant to help people diagnosed with ADD/ADHD to focus and stay on task. However, when these drugs are taken by teens who don’t have ADD/ADHD, they can stimulate the user’s brain and create a euphoric high. These drugs seem awesome because not only do they sometimes produce a high, but they can also help your academic performance. So what could be bad about that?
As a general rule of thumb, it’s not a good idea to take drugs that aren’t prescribed to you, and it’s an even worse idea to take prescription drugs in a way that is not dictated by the doctor. Just because something is prescribed by a doctor doesn’t mean that you can take as much of it as you want, whenever you want.
Basically, don’t abuse prescription drugs—it’s just a bad idea. ADD/ADHD medications are no exception. Teen abuse of ADD/ADHD medication like Adderall or Ritalin are putting themselves at risk for side effects that include insomnia, digestive problems, psychotic episodes, blood clots, overdose, heart and lung problems, and addiction.
Teens who don’t have ADD/ADHD abuse drugs like Ritalin and Adderall to help them study, stay awake all night, or to do better on a test. The pressure to do well in high school and college can be overwhelming, and it seems like taking prescription pills to help you get better grades is an easy and harmless solution. Unfortunately, this decision to use prescription drugs in a way other than prescribed can lead to some serious problems.
For teens, abuse of Ritalin and Adderall might seem like a good idea in the moment. If they can help you get an A on a paper or test, who cares what the side effects are? Well, it might not matter if you get an A on a paper if you are in the hospital for an overdose or are experiencing psychotic episodes. These drugs may seem like a great way to improve focus and academic performance, but by abusing these drugs, you are putting yourself at risk for some serious consequences.
Labels: prescription-drug-abuse, teen-addiction, teen-drug help, teen-drug-abuse, teen-rehab, teen-substance-abuse
Cough Medicine...Remedy or Risk?
I remember when I was little, I absolutely hated cough syrup. If I had a cough, I would try to hide it for as long as possible so that my mom wouldn't make me take Robitussin. Even today, I try to avoid cough syrup as much as possible. It just grosses me out. So you can imagine my surprise to hear that teens are taking large amounts of cough medicine to get high. I can barely swallow a spoonful of cough syrup, but people are drinking two or three bottles. But upon further examination, cough medicine seems like an ideal candidate for teenage use and abuse because it can be easily bought, and its totally legal. All you have to do is walk into the drug store and pick up a bottle of Robitussin. You don't even have to ask the pharmacist. Totally easy, right? Maybe too easy. It's this accessibility that makes cough medicine abuse a problem.
Like I said when I was talking about prescription drug abuse, a lot of people assume that because drugs are legal,they aren't harmful. However, this is not the case. And while cough medicine doesn't seem particularly harmful (after all, it's supposed to make you feel better), it can do a lot of damage. Cough medicine contains an ingredient called dextromethorphan (aka DXM), which when taken in large quantities, can create the feeling of being high. DXM is safe when used in proper dosages, but in order to get high, teens are consuming really large quantities. This is where you might run into a problem.
If you take cough medicine in the proper dose, you don't have to worry about the negative effects caused by the abuse of DXM. If you abuse cough medicine, though, there are some consequences of this abuse, including confusion, dizziness, abdominal pain, rapid heartbeat, numbness of fingers and toes, and disorientation. These effects of the abuse of DXM or "robotripping" (get it? Robitussin...robotripping) are only the short term effects. There is also a variety of long-term effects of DXM abuse that can cause even more damage.
DXM doesn't just result in a short term high, but can also produce some long-term and life-threatening effects. Some of the long-term effects of cough medicine abuse include brain damage, psychosis, and addiction. Abuse of DXM can even result in coma or death. Just like any other drug, DXM is addictive and can result in really serious consequences. It's really not something to mess around with. Just because cough medicine will stop your cough doesn't mean that it's okay to drink 1 or 2 bottles at once. Really, it's just not a good idea, and the idea that because a drug is legal means that it is safe needs to be erased from your brain.
Labels: prescription-drug-abuse, teen-addiction, teen-drug-abuse, teen-drug-help, teen-rehab, teen-substance-abuse
Teens and Prescription Drug Abuse
I've decided that for today's post I'm going to try to talk about one class of drugs that affects teens and is abused by teens. So for today's post, I will be talking about (drum roll please)...prescription drug abuse.
I think there are some misconceptions about prescription drug use that make teens feel less guilty about abusing them. The major misconception seems to be that prescription drugs are safer because they were prescribed by a doctor. I guess it's a semi-logical conclusion to come to. However, that conclusion is totally wrong. Prescription drug use is still drug abuse, and is just as dangerous and addicting as abusing any other drug. Some of the risks of abusing prescription drugs include:
• vomiting and nausea
• drowsiness, dizziness, shaking
• hospitalization, death
• engaging in risky behaviors (driving under the influence, stealing, etc.)
• lost interest in normal activities
• loss of interest in class work and a drop in academic performance
You might not care if you lose interest in your class work (maybe you already have), but you should definitely care about your health. Prescription drug abuse is not trivial, and has consequences that can negatively (and sometimes permanently) change your life.
I stumbled upon an article from USA Today that talks about the increasing use of prescription drugs in teen culture, and the dangers of the use of prescription drugs (I'm warning you in advance that this article is long, but it's really worth reading, I promise). While it might seem like using prescription drugs must be safe because they're prescribed by a doctor, they are only safe when used as prescribed and used by the person they are prescribed to. When abused, prescription drugs can be deadly.
Another good source of info about prescription drug use can be found at www.painfullyobvious.com. This site lets you pick your site guide, and it's kind of lame, but if you can get past their obvious attempts to try and be cool and reate to you, there is some really good information about the dangers of prescription drug abuse. This site lets you explore all of the ways that prescription drug abuse can affect your life, including at home, at school, with your friends, etc.
The bottom line is that prescription drug abuse is not safe. Just because they're in your medicine cabinet doesn't mean that they can't cause damage, and if you abuse them, they will cause damage. If you think you or a friend might have a problem with prescription drug abuse, this website has a number that you can call for help and also has a list of treatment centers for teen with substance abuse problems.
Labels: prescription-drug-abuse, teen-addiction, teen-drug-abuse, teen-drug-help, teen-rehab, teen-substance-abuse
