October is National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month.
Here is some information from the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America on Teen Medicine Abuse:
The medicine abuse problem:
Each generation of kids looks for new ways to get high.
Recent trends indicate they are increasingly turning to
prescription (Rx) or over-the-counter (OTC) medicines.
Teens report getting many of these medicines from
home medicine cabinets and mistakenly believe that
abusing them is “safer” than other drugs.
According to surveys from the National Institute on Drug
Abuse, 20 percent of teens say they have taken a
prescription drug without having a prescription for it
themselves, and 5 percent report abusing OTC cough
medicine to get high.
What types of medicines do teens abuse?
Rx Drugs: While prescription medicines benefit many
different people – for many different conditions – when
used appropriately, they are being increasingly misused
and abused. In fact, behind only marijuana, the most
common drugs teens abuse are prescription medications.
The most commonly abused prescription medications
are listed below, and all can be dangerous or
deadly when abused:
1. Opioids and pain relievers: examples include
hydrocodone (Vicodin®), oxycodone
(OxyContin®)
2. Barbiturates and benzodiazepines: examples
include diazepam (Valium®), alprazolam (Xanax®)
3. Btimulants: examples include dextroamphetamine
(Dexedrine® or Adderall®), methylphenidate
(Ritalin® or Concerta®)
OTC Cough/Cold Medicine:
While millions of Americans
safely rely on OTC cough medicine to temporarily relieve
their cough, some teens intentionally take large amounts
– sometimes more than 25 times the recommended dose
of these medicines – to get high. This means some teens
ingest multiple packages or bottles of OTC cough medicines
that contain dextromethorphan (DXM).
- DXM is the active ingredient in most OTC cough
medicines. Approved by the FDA in the 1950s, DXM
is the most widely used cough suppressant ingredient
in the United States.
- When taken in excessive amounts DXM can cause
serious side effects including rapid heartbeat, high
blood pressure, memory problems, nausea and
vomiting.
- More than 100 OTC medicines containing DXM are
on the market today. These medicines come in the
form of liquids, capsules, gelcaps, lozenges, and
tablets. Common DXM- containing cough medicines
include many forms of Coricidin™, Delsym™,
Dimetapp™, Mucinex DM™, Robitussin™, Triaminic™,
Tylenol Cough & Cold™, Vicks DayQuil™/NyQuil™,
Vicks Formula 44™ and more.
Help prevent medicine abuse:
TALK to your teen about prescription and OTC cough
medicine abuse. Teens listen, even if they act like they
don’t. In fact, teens who learn about the risks of drugs
from their parents are 50 percent less likely to use drugs.
SAFEGUARD your medicine cabinets. Take steps to
protect your teens by safeguarding all the medicines you
have in your home. Know what you have and how much,
so you will know if anything is missing. Discard any
medicines you no longer need.
SHARE what you have learned.
SPEAK UP at school meetings, sports events, community
events and other gatherings of parents – to make sure
others active in your teen’s day-to-day activities know
about the dangers of medicine abuse. Circulate articles
via your school listserv or write an opinion editorial to
your local newspaper. Blog, Facebook or Tweet about it
to alert your friends and peers.
REACH OUT to your child's school counselor, school social worker, or principal if you have questions or concerns about your child's drug use, or need linked to a resource in the community.
Learn more at:
www.PreventRxAbuse.org
www.StopMedicineAbuse.org
Local Resource: https://thelcadaway.org/
Source: http://www.preventmedabuse.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/FactSheet-Teens.pdf
