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Prescription drugs are often used by kids to get high
Stephen J. Pasierb | JSOnline | Sept. 9, 2006

A recent survey by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University found that increasing numbers of young people were prone to abuse alcohol along with several kinds of drugs, including prescription drugs, at parties and other social gatherings.

Worse yet, the study found that most parents had no clue about such activities, even those who were at home during many of these parties.

As parents open their eyes to this reality, they must also know that the intentional abuse of prescription and over-the-counter drugs to get high has quickly established itself as a serious new tier of teen substance abuse, one that deserves great attention and their immediate action.

Amazingly, most kids know these drugs are easy to get, whether swiped from the home or a friend's medicine cabinet or bought via the Internet.

Few parents suspect that medications in their own home can be pilfered by young, curious, risk-taking teens.

This was certainly true for Linda Surks, who lost her son Jason to prescription drug abuse in 2003.

As a substance abuse prevention professional, Surks knew the warning signs to look for when it came to illicit drugs but not those associated with medicine abuse.

Jason, a pre-pharmacy college student, not only knew how to access information on prescription drugs online, he was able to purchase them with ease over the Internet.

Jason's death revealed a whole new world of danger that Surks and hundreds of parents like her never knew existed.

The 2005 Partnership Attitude Tracking Study found that an alarming number of teens had a false sense of security about intentionally abusing prescription drugs.

In fact, nearly one in five teens across the United States reported non-medical use of prescription drugs, including pain relievers, stimulants and tranquilizers to get high.

About 6 million teens mistakenly believe that pain medications are not addictive. Nearly one-third of teens believe there is nothing wrong with the occasional abuse of such medications to get high and almost 40% think prescription drugs are safer than illegal substances such as marijuana, crack and heroin.

Today, when Surks speaks to parents throughout the country, her message is loud and clear: Parents might be naive to the dangers of prescription drug abuse, but they are not powerless to prevent this incredibly damaging behavior with otherwise good medicine.

Parents should start by educating themselves about medications that have potential for abuse, especially the ones in their own medicine cabinet.

Discuss with your kids that abusing medicine can be just as dangerous, addictive and even deadly as using "street drugs." Safeguard these medications by taking a regular inventory and keeping tabs on exact quantities. Dispose of ones that are no longer needed.

Communication between parents and their kids is the most effective tool when it comes to preventing your kids from abusing prescription drugs. Our research shows that young people who learn about the danger of substance abuse at home are up to 50% less likely to experiment.

Sadly, fewer than one-third of teens say they get this message from their parents.

Having frank discussions about drug and alcohol use is often awkward and uncomfortable, but in the end, may ultimately save your child's life.

Stephen J. Pasierb is president and CEO of Partnership for a Drug-Free America ( www.drugfree.org).
From the Sept. 10, 2006 editions of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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troublemaker_42

I smell a parent in denial. Exactly what warning signs are different? Prescription drugs can induce many of the same behaviors and symptoms as "street" drugs. Oxycotin and other painkillers mimic the effects of heroin. Benzos like Xanax produce an intoxication similiar to alcohol in larger (recreational) doses. Adderall and Ritalin mimic street amphhetamines. The signs of drug abuse don't disappear when the drug in in a pill rather than a powder. She was sleeping on the job, and is looking for someone other than herself to blame. Someone with her background has no excuse not to be familiar with the signs of ALL TYPES of drug abuse.

king cola

Some of these people are convinced that there is a difference between being addicted to a legal drug than a illegal drug, like it somehow makes it alright that someone is addicted to a prescription drug. Even Rush Limbaugh once made a statement on his show that all drug addicts should be in prison, until he got caught for oxycontin and then it was a whole different story because it wasn't an illegal drug he was addicted to!

blitzed_24/7

Why are drugs illegal in the first place? I thought of it why are they illegal ? if someone wants to do them and get fked up with them well then hell be it make them do it

Buzzby

They're probably illegal because they make people forget how to speak English.

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vladimir

i love how shocked adults are that their presciption meds are in many cases essentially the same as street drugs that can be used/abused as such...did they think they were just taking tylenol?

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MintyFreshness

In this article they are compareing painkillers givin out by every doctor in the world to street drugs like heroin. So can somebody remind me why Marijuana is illegal and Painkillers arn't?

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yefno

there is no answer to that question

Buzzby

As far as the medical and legal professions are concerned, painkillers have a legitimate medical use. Other than the mild, non-addictive kind, they're available only by prescription. They are illegal in any other context.

Marijuana, in their frame of reference, has no medical use, is purely a recreational drug, and one that leads you on a direct path to Hell.

Sec

Illegal drugs are any drug that is taken in an illegal manner. It could be a prescription taken inconsistantly with the instructions, it could be taking too many tylenol, it could be taking someone elses prescription, it could be marijuana or meth, it could be any number of things taken without and/or not according to a licensed medical practicioner's (sp?)prescription.

For example, it isn't illegal to give your child cough medicine for a cough. It is illegal to give your child cough medicine to help him/her sleep.

It isn't illegal to take a vicodin for back pain as long as it is taken by the person the physician prescribed it to and it is taken according to the instructions on the bottle. It is illegal to share said vidodin with your buddy who had a hard day on the golf course.

Pain killers are illegal if taken illegally, same for marijuana.

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