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A SERIOUS PROBLEM!
Prescription and O-T-C Drug Abuse
Abuse of prescription or OTC drugs can be hard to spot. Some abusers continue to function
at a high level, and are very effective at hiding their habit. A tip-off to a potential problem in your home is when medicine is disappearing faster than it should be. As with illicit drugs, other signs to watch for include personality changes, behavioral or academic problems, new sets of friends and unusual mood swings. If abuse is taking place, it
is important to intervene as soon as possible to hopefully prevent a tragic outcome.
In addition to getting high, kids are using prescription drugs in more practical, but still dangerous, ways. A drug such as Adderall, designed to increase concentration, might be taken to fuel a study session or give a mental boost for a big exam. The tranquilizer Xanax might be used to help cover up the pain of a breakup with a boyfriend or girlfriend.
There are a wide variety of reasons that people abuse prescription and OTC drugs. Many use them to achieve a recreational high. At so called “pharming” parties, kids bring prescription drugs and trade or pool them, sometimes even taking a random mix of pills for a surprise effect. Unfortunately, the surprise is sometimes a trip to the emergency room or even the morgue.
Should this behavior be any surprise? Teens today grow up seeing prescription drugs of all sorts advertised on television, radio and in newspapers. In such an environment, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that so many teens find “self-prescribing” to be normal. They acquire specific prescription drugs illegally in order to self-medicate.
For a Recreational High
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that drug overdose death rates in the United States have more than tripled since 1990 and that growing prescription drug abuse played a role in the increase.
Older Adults Are Abusing Too!
Prescription or OTC drugs are often mixed with alcohol or marijuana to intensify the intoxication. The result of such combinations is extremely unpredictable and dangerous.
To Self-Medicate
Teens face special dangers from medication abuse due to their developing brain structure and behavior patterns. But increasing attention is also being paid to how older adults sometimes abuse prescription and over-the-counter drugs. The
high number of medications which many
elderly take can be one problem. Taking medications incorrectly out of simple confusion. Furthermore, retirees on fixed incomes may face the temptation of saving money by “self-prescribing” with another’s prescription. It points to the importance of all households keeping close track of their medicine cabinets and disposing of excess medicines.
Volume 10 • lawpublications.net • 8