Preventing Teen Abuse of Prescription Drugs: Fact Sheet
The Following is a sample from: Preventing Teen Abuse of Prescription Drugs Fact Sheet created by Partnership to End Addiction.
- What is prescription drug abuse? The use of prescription medication to create an altered state, to get high, or for reasons — or by people — other than those intended by the prescribing doctor.
- How many teens are doing this? According to research conducted by Partnership to End Addiction (as well as other reputable national studies) as many as one in five teens say they have taken a prescription drug without having a prescription for it themselves. This behavior cuts across geographic, racial, ethnic and socioeconomic boundaries.
- Why are some teens doing this? For a variety of reasons. To party and get high, in some cases, but also to “manage” or “regulate” their lives. They’re abusing some stimulants such as Ritalin and Adderall to give them additional energy and ability to focus when they’re studying or taking tests. They’re abusing pain relievers like OxyContin and tranquilizers such as Xanax to cope with academic, social or emotional stress. They’re abusing prescription amphetamines to lose weight, or prescription steroids to bulk up.
Read more by downloading the one-page list from Partnership to End Addiction
