Teens and Prescription Drug Abuse
Abusing prescription drugs to get high is a major societal concern as it causes unintentional death, addiction and crime. Unfortunately, the highest rate of prescription drug abuse is among teens. The Office of the National Drug Control Policy released a study in 2007 detailing the sobering reality of prescription drug abuse among teens. The study found that after marijuana, prescription medications are the second most abused substance among 12-17 year olds. There are just as many new abusers of prescription drugs as there are marijuana, meaning one day, prescription abuse could surpass that of marijuana.
In West Virginia alone 8.5% of teens admit to abusing prescriptions that were not prescribed to them. On a national scale 19% of teens admit to using a prescription that was not theirs. One of the causes of this widespread abuse is the lack of understanding of the dangers of prescription drugs. Almost half of all surveyed teens believe that it is safer to get high on prescriptions, even if they weren’t prescribed to them, than to get high on illegal drugs. The readily available pharmaceuticals are everywhere, 62% of surveyed teens said they could easily get prescription medication from their parents medicine cabinet. Through participating in the West Virginia Consumer Drug Return Partnership you will help keep our teens safe from substance abuse.
Additional Resources:
Partnership for a Drug Free America - Teens – Information on drug abuse among teens, illegal and prescription medication are discussed
Office of the National Drug Control Policy - PDF – Study on prescription drug abuse among teens. Current trends and statistical analysis
