Prescription Drug Abuse: A Rapidly Growing Problem

 

 

What is prescription drug abuse?

Prescription drug abuse is when someone takes a prescription drug that was prescribed for someone else or in a manner or dosage other than what was prescribed. Abuse can include taking a friend's or relative's prescription to get high, to help with studying, or even to treat pain.

What are the most commonly abused prescription and over-the-counter drugs?

Opioids (such as the pain relievers OxyContin and Vicodin), central nervous system depressants, and stimulants are the most commonly abused prescription drugs. Some drugs that are available without a prescription — also known as over-the-counter drugs — also can be dangerous if they aren't taken according to the directions on the packaging. For example, DXM (dextromethorphan), the active cough suppressant found in many over-the-counter cough and cold medications, sometimes is abused, particularly by youth.

Where do teens get prescription drugs?

Both teens and young adults obtain the majority of prescription drugs from friends and relatives, sometimes without their knowledge. And in one survey, 35 percent of high school seniors said that opioid drugs other than heroin (e.g., Vicodin or methadone) would be fairly or very easy to get

What happens when you abuse prescription drugs?

Abusing prescription drugs can have negative short- and long-term health consequences.  Stimulant abuse can cause paranoia, dangerously high body temperatures, and an irregular heartbeat, especially if taken in high doses or by routes other than in pill form.The abuse of opioids can cause drowsiness, nausea, constipation, and, depending on the amount taken, slowed breathing. Abusing depressants can cause slurred speech, shallow breathing, fatigue, disorientation, lack of coordination, and seizures (upon withdrawal from chronic abuse). Abuse of any of these substances may result in physical dependence or addiction.
Abusing over-the-counter drugs that contain DXM — which usually involves taking doses much higher than recommended for treating coughs and colds — can impair motor function (such as walking or sitting up); produce numbness, nausea, and vomiting; and increase heart rate and blood pressure.
Abusing any type of mind-altering drug can affect judgment and inhibition and may put a person at heightened risk for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

Why don't people who take prescription drugs for medical conditions become addicted?

On rare occasions they do, which is why a person must be under a doctor's care while taking prescription medications, and sometimes when stopping their use. A doctor prescribes medication based on an individual's need — each patient is examined for symptoms and receives a dose of medication that will treat the problem effectively and safely. Typically, prescription drugs are taken in a form (e.g., a pill) that doesn't allow for rapid absorption of the drug by the brain, which reduces the likelihood of addiction. However, if taken for reasons other than for what the drugs were intended, in ways not prescribed, or at higher doses than prescribed, prescription drug use can lead to addiction.
Long-term medical use of certain prescription drugs can lead to "physical dependence" because of the way the brain and the body naturally adapt to chronic drug exposure. A person may need larger doses of the drug to achieve the same initial effects (tolerance), and when drug use is stopped, withdrawal symptoms can occur. Tolerance is not the same as addiction (although it also happens to someone who is addicted). It is one of the many reasons why prescription drugs need to be taken and stopped under a physician's guidance.

For more information go to http://teens.drugabuse.gov/index.php