A Adolescent abuse of prescription drugs—pain relievers, stimulants, tranquilizers, and sedatives—is a major health Concern. According to the 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 11.7 percent of 12– to l7-year-olds reported non-medical use of psychotherapeutic drugs at some point in their lives, and 3.3 percent reported such use in just the past month.1 In addition, the most recent Monitoring the Future study found:
9.7 percent of 12th graders reported past-year nonmedical use of Vicodin.2
4.7 percent of high school seniors reported past-year nonmedical use of OxyContin.3
Past-year amphetamine abuse rates among students were 6.8 percent for 12th graders, 6.4 percent for 10th graders, and 4.5 percent for 8th graders.4
Overall, Vicodin has emerged as the prescription drug most commonly abused by teens.
WHY TEENS ABUSE PRESCRIPTION DRUGS
Teenagers and young adults have a common misperception that medications prescribed by physicians are safe, even when used illicitly. However, a broad range of motivations have been associated with the abuse of prescription drugs by teenagers. Some teenagers seek to self-medicate (e.g., pain, anxiety, insomnia) by abusing their own or others’ prescriptions. Other teens use prescription drugs to enhance performance or abuse steroids to shape their bodies. Some teens take prescription drugs to get high or experiment, often combining them with alcohol.5 This spectrum of motivations requires intervention strategies that address the diversity of motivations within different target groups, as one size will not fit all.
WHERE TEENS GET PRESCRIPTION DRUGS
Persons aged 12 to 17 who used prescription drugs non-medically in the past 12 months reported obtaining them from the following sources:
46 percent obtained the drugs free from a friend or relative.
20 percent bought or took the drugs from a friend or relative.
19 percent got the drug from only one doctor.
5 percent bought the medication from a drug dealer or other stranger.
0.2 percent reported buying the drug on the Internet.6
These numbers underscore the influence parents and relatives can have on teen access to prescription drugs.
POSSIBLE MEDICAL CONSEQUENCES
Abuse* of prescription drugs can cause life-threatening consequences, including death from overdose, particularly when combined with other drugs or alcohol. Depressed respiration from painkiller abuse or heart attack/stroke from use of stimulants often underlies emergency room admissions related to prescription drugs. Prescription drug abuse also appears to be associated with a greater likelihood of risky behaviors in teens, including other substance abuse. A recent study found that teens who reported nonmedical use of prescription drugs to get high (rather than to self-medicate) were significantly more at risk to smoke cigarettes and/or marijuana, drink alcohol, and abuse several other drugs.7 Finally, adolescents who abuse prescription medications risk becoming addicted to them, a risk heightened for this age group.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Physicians are in a unique position to identify prescription drug abuse in their patients.
Screening can be incorporated into routine visits by asking about substance abuse history, current prescription and over-the-counter drug use, and reasons for use.
Because prescription drugs are often obtained from relatives or friends, it is helpful to discuss with parents the dangers of sharing prescription drugs with teenagers and to suggest restricting access to prescription drugs in the home.
Physicians can critically evaluate the need for prescription drugs in their young patients, especially when particular drugs are requested. They can also keep up-to-date on local resources and where they can refer patients for help.
WHERE YOU CAN GO FOR MORE INFORMATION
The National Institute on Drug Abuse brings science to practice by providing current, research-based information for physicians, parents, and patients. Available resources include:
NIDA Web Page for physicians and other heath professionals contains links for publications, clinical practice, and research available at www.nida.nih.gov/medstaff.html.
Commonly Abused Prescription Drugs is a quick reference with street names for prescription drugs, DEA schedule, intoxication effects, and potential health consequences, available at www.nida.nih.gov/DrugPages/PrescripDrugsChart.html.
The NIDA Research Report Prescription Drugs: Abuse and Addiction is available online at www.nida.nih.gov/ResearchReports/Prescription/Prescription.html.
Monitoring the Future, an ongoing study of the behaviors, attitudes, and values of American secondary school students, college students, and young adults, provides information on the latest drug use trends, available at www.monitoringthefuture.org.
NIDA for Teens, a Web site specifically for adolescents ages 11–15, can be found at http://teens.drugabuse.gov/. The site contains facts on drug abuse as well as stories from teens who have struggled with addiction. Frequently asked questions are featured in the Ask Dr. NIDA section.
Drugs and Your Body: It Isn’t Pretty. This annotated poster presents a graphic tour of how the body is affected by various drugs of abuse. To access the poster online, go to www.drugabuse.gov/PDF/Scholastic/HeadsUp-BodyParts-Front.pdf. A bilingual Spanish/English version is also available.
Footnotes
A common vocabulary has not been established in the field of prescription drug abuse. NIDA defines prescription drug abuse as the use of a medication solely for the feeling it may cause, or for a purpose or in a manner different from that for which it was prescribed.
References
- 1.Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Results from the 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: National Findings. Rockville, MD: 2008. (Office of Applied Studies, NSDUH Series H-34, DHHS Publication No. SMA 08-4343). (Table B-8) [Google Scholar]
- 2.Johnston LD, O’Malley PM, Bachman JG, Schulenberg JE. Monitoring the Future national results on adolescent drug use: Overview of key findings. 2008 Available at www.monitoringthefuture.org.
- 3.Ibid.
- 4.Ibid.
- 5.McCabe SE, Cranford JA, Boyd CJ, Teter CJ. Motives, diversion and routes of administration associated with nonmedical use of prescription opioids. Addict Behav. 2007 Mar;32(3):562–75. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2006.05.022. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 6.Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Results from the 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: National Findings. Rockville, MD: 2008. (Office of Applied Studies, NSDUH Series H-34, DHHS Publication No. SMA 08-4343). [Google Scholar]
- 7.Boyd CJ, McCabe SE, Cranford JA, Young A. Adolescents’ motivations to abuse prescription medications. Pediatrics. 2006 Dec;118(6):2472–80. doi: 10.1542/peds.2006-1644. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]