Prescription drug abuse has become increasingly prevalent among teens in the county. There has been an increase in the abuse of prescription drugs for a number of reasons. Some individuals who misuse prescription drugs believe they are safer than other illicit drugs because they are prescribed by a healthcare professional and dispensed by a pharmacist. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has classified this prescription drug abuse as an epidemic. More and more teens are becoming addicted to these substances and the epidemic is only growing.
Prescription drug abuse by teens has been rapidly increasing over the last five years. According to nationally projectable survey by The Partnership at Drugfree.org and MetLife Foundation, one in four teens have misused or abused prescription drugs. More and more teens have been taking unprescribed drugs because they believe their parents would be less upset with them if they were caught taking prescription drugs without a doctor’s prescription then if they were caught taking illegal drugs. One in five parents has even reported that they had given their child a prescription drug not prescribed to them. Many teen admitted to how easy it to obtain these drugs from their parent’s medicine cabinet. Both teens and parents believe taking prescription drugs is safer than illegal street drugs. This is not true, as taking prescription drugs are only safe for individuals who actually have prescriptions for them. A doctor has examined these people, telling the right dosage to take for a specific medical condition. Females often abuse prescription drugs as a way to lose weight. Another reason why teenagers would abuse prescription drugs is from the pressure of school. Adderall, a dru...
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Prescription and pharmaceutical drug abuse is beginning to expand as a social issue within the United States because of the variety of drugs, their growing availability, and the social acceptance and peer pressure to uses them. Many in the workforce are suffering and failing at getting better due to the desperation driving their addiction.
... age could cause adolescents to seek to an alternative way to get opioids from the black market. Doctors will try to lower the rates of opioid dependents by prescribing an alternative medications. With many opioid-dependent patients becoming addictive to opioids it causes huge effects on the human body. With having opioid exposure at such a young age increase the possibility of becoming opioid-dependent patients. “About three quarters of all adolescents receiving treatment for opioid use disorders reported first used before the age of 25” (Pugatch, Marianne, et al 435). Also adolescents visit the emergency department involving “opioid pain relievers and benzodiazepines” (Jones, Christopher M, Leonard J Paulozzi, and Karin A Mack 881). There are many ways to make sure that adolescents will become educated about opioid addiction, for example treatment facilities.
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The most common prescription drug that many teenage drug abusers may be stealing or trying to purchase online would be opioids, also known as narcotics, which include drugs such as OxyContin, morphine, and Percocet (5). Narcotics are drugs that are used to relieve pain, triggering a sense of euphoria from the brain’s pleasure center. Many teens may abuse narcotics to feel that sense of pleasure (5). Another prescription medication that teenagers commonly abuse are stimulants, such as Adderall, Ritalin, and Dexedrine. These drugs stimulate dopamine production in the brain, lifting moods and calming anxiety, which is why it is a commonly abused prescription drug (5). Due to the easy accessibility with some of these prescription medications and their high potential for abuse, teenagers who abuse them are putting their mind’s and bodies at risk for the many side effects that come along with abusing drugs, which can sometimes be fatal.
Most adolescents who misuse prescription pain relievers are given the medication by an unknown friend or relative. This is a situation that can easily be avoided with an education on the risks of opioids. Patricia Schram, MD, an adolescent substance abuse specialist at Children’s Hospital Boston, stresses the importance of parent involvement in preventing young adults from abusing opioids and in the recovery process, citing a study that claimed, “teens were less likely to abuse opioids if their parents often checked their homework, if they had been frequently praised by their parents and if they perceived strong disapproval of marijuana from their parents” (Viamont 1). Besides parent and family involvement, physicians have a role to play in preventing the spread of the opioid epidemic.
Fatal complications occur from regular use, for example, liver damage, seizures, elevated blood pressure causing stroke, heart failure, or heart attack. Another growing fad in the United States is the abuse of prescription drugs. The abuse is being done by not only adults, but by teens. The most current trend today is the misuse of cough syrups and prescription medications to produce a “high.” Other medications abused today are stimulants (Ritalin), and benzodiazepines (Xanax).
Years ago, the common image of an adolescent drug abuser was a teen trying to escape from reality on illegal substances like cocaine, heroin, or marijuana. Today, there is a great discrepancy between that perception and the reality of who is likely to abuse drugs. A teenage drug abuser might not have to look any further than his or her parent’s medicine chest to ‘score.’ Prescription drug abuse by teens is on the rise. Also, teens are looking to prescription drugs to fulfill different needs other than to feel good or escape the pressures of adulthood. Teens may be just as likely to resort to drugs with ‘speedy’ side effects, like Ritalin to help them study longer, as they are to use prescription painkillers to check out of reality. Pressures on teens are growing, to succeed in sports or to get high grades to get into a good college (Pressures on today’s teens, 2008, theantidrug). Furthermore, because prescriptions drugs are prescribed by doctors they are less likely to be seen as deleterious to teens’ health. A lack of awareness of the problem on the part of teens, parents and society in general, the over-medication of America, and the greater stresses and pressures put upon teens in the modern world have all conspired to create the growing problem of prescription drug abuse by teens.
Anonymous. "Prescription Drugs: Their Use and Abuse." Scholastic Scope. 20 Feb. 2006: IA. eLibrary. Web. 07 Dec. 2013.
Prescription drugs are making parents more overwhelmed than ever before about their teenaged child! Why must they worry so much about their teenaged child? “When you can stop you don’t want to, and when you want to stop, you can’t…” (Davies). This quote signifies that adolescents and adults have the option to quit or not try the drug when being introduced, but when they get started on the drug and they are thinking abouting quitting, they cannot because of the addiction they have on the drug. Each day they try to stay away from the drug, but they are having really bad withdrawals. Rockingham County Schools should inform parents about the strategies for preventing, recognizing, and addressing prescription drug abuse.
(The motive behind a teenager abusing a prescription drug correlates directly with the types of abused medications. I would now like to inform you about the most commonly abused prescription
Users who abuse drugs by prescription improperly use them by taking somebody else 's prescription, taking medication to get high, or taking medication in other ways than applied
Adolescents abuse illegal drugs for several reasons. If a teen is abusing drugs, your family is no different from many other families today. The question some may ask themselves is, “Why does a child do drugs?” This research paper will explain some of the reasons adolescents abuse drugs. Parents cannot blame themselves for all of a teen’s actions. Two major reasons for adolescents abusing illegal drugs are peer pressure and depression. These concepts will be expanded upon in detail in this paper.
According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health in America, it can be estimated that during the past thirty days, 20 million Americans above the age of 12, have used an illegal drug (Drug Abuse Symptoms, Facts, and Statistics). Perhaps the most significant issue concerning the use of drugs is the fact that it can easily lead to addiction. Drug abuse is a major problem in our society today, however many drug abusers are unaware of the physical, economic and emotional problems that come along with addiction.
Drugs. The word itself sounds dangerous. Little is it known that drugs are even more dangerous that most people can ever imagine. A complete overview and insight into the world of drugs and the dangers of illegal, addictive substances will be provided. Drugs are an evident hazard and epidemic in today’s society, so it is definitely necessary that a full point of view is apparent.
Few people deny the dangers of drug use, while many teens are curious about drugs. They should stay away from drugs because drugs affect our health, lead to academic failure, and jeopardizes safety. Drugs are used from a long period of time in many countries. The concentration of drugs has increased from late 1960’s and 1970’s. Drugs can quickly takeover our lives. Friends and acquaintance have the greatest influence of using drugs during adolescence.