By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    improving patient experience
    6 Ways to Improve Patient Satisfaction Within Hospitals
    December 1, 2021
    degree for healthcare job
    What Are The Health Benefits Of Having A Degree?
    March 9, 2022
    custom software development is changing healthcare
    Digital Customer Journey Mapping and its Importance for Healthcare
    July 21, 2022
    Latest News
    Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
    May 16, 2025
    Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
    May 16, 2025
    Choosing the Right Supplement Manufacturer for Your Brand
    May 1, 2025
    Engineering Temporary Hospitals for Extreme Weather
    April 24, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Can Thinking Younger Make You Live Longer?
    April 20, 2011
    Image
    Obesity’s Outlook Unchanged
    June 13, 2011
    When It’s An Emergency Elderly Not Treated As Well in Hospitals
    July 16, 2011
    Latest News
    Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
    May 18, 2025
    The Critical Role of Healthcare in Personal Injury Recovery: A Comprehensive Guide for Victims
    May 14, 2025
    The Backbone of Successful Trials: Clinical Data Management
    April 28, 2025
    Advancing Your Healthcare Career through Education and Specialization
    April 16, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Prescription Drug Abuse in Teens
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Policy & Law > Public Health > Prescription Drug Abuse in Teens
Public Health

Prescription Drug Abuse in Teens

DavidEWilliams
Last updated: April 24, 2013 7:16 am
DavidEWilliams
Share
5 Min Read
prescription drug abuse
SHARE

I agree with the main recommendations of the Drugfree.org/MetLife 2012 attitude tracking study of teens and parents regarding drug use:

I agree with the main recommendations of the Drugfree.org/MetLife 2012 attitude tracking study of teens and parents regarding drug use:

  • Do more to communicate risks of medicine misuse and abuse
  • Safeguard medicines at home
  • Properly dispose of unused medicines
  • Avoid modeling bad behavior by misusing or abusing drugs

prescription drug abuseThe report raises quite a few interesting points, but some of the survey results raise more questions than they answer, and there are other issues not addressed.

Prescription drug abuse is a serious problem. One area the report focuses on is the abuse of stimulants such as Adderall. Here’s their take:

More Read

Image
Screening for Dementia: A Cautionary Tale Yet to Begin
Medicaid Expansion Rejection Starts to Bite
The Price, Cost, and Value of Bio-Pharmaceutical Care
Painless Injections Make Child Vaccine Delivery Easy
Engage with Grace: Thanksgivukkah Edition

“In fact, almost one-third of parents (29 percent) say they believe ADHD medication can improve a teen’s academic or testing performance, even if the teen does not have ADHD, and one in four teens (26 percent) believes prescription drugs can be used as a study aid.”

And regarding prescription drugs in general:

“Parents and teens share the same misconceptions regarding prescription drug misuse and abuse. One in six parents (16 percent) believes that using prescription drugs to get high is safer than using street drugs, and more than one in four teens (27 percent) shares the same belief.”

“One-third of teens (33 percent) say they believe ‘it’s okay to use prescription drugs that were not prescribed to them to deal with an injury, illness or physical pain.’”

“One in four teens (25 percent) says there is little or no risk in using prescription pain relievers without a prescription, and more than one in five teens (22 percent) says the same for Ritalin or Adderall. Additionally, one in five teens (20 percent) says pain relievers are not addictive.”

While the survey is surprised at how high these numbers are, I’m surprised they are so low. And some of what the surveyors characterize as misconceptions I regard as accurate or at the very least open to debate. For example:

  • All else being equal, why wouldn’t it be safer to get high from prescription drugs than street drugs? The ingredients and dosing are known, the purity is bound to be higher, there’s less physical risk of obtaining the product (if from parents’ medicine cabinet especially), almost no risk of arrest, and if something goes wrong the emergency department can have an easier time figuring out what you took. Can it really be that only 1 in 6 parents and 1 in 4 teens agrees with me on this?
  • It’s interesting that only about 1 in 4 parents and teens think ADHD drugs can improve academic testing and performance. I’ll bet there’s more support from college students who are big users of these substances. And do we really know that these meds aren’t effective in “normal” people, especially when cramming for a test? Part of the issue here could be that plenty of kids with ADHD or who are just a bit restless are put on drugs and get used to having them
  • Direct to consumer ads tell us to “ask your doctor if [Drug X] is right for you.” And when we do ask, many physicians say yes. This includes pain drugs. In fact I saw a DTC ad for the pain drug Lyrica today. Given that, is it such a stretch that some people could think it’s ok to take pain meds without a prescription? And instead of emphasizing that 20-25 percent of teens who are unworried about pain drugs, perhaps the report should have emphasized the 75 to 80 percent who do think there’s an issue.

I really do think prescription drug abuse and misuse is a serious problem. But the problem is not just naiveté on the part of parents and teens. It gets to the fact that unlike a generation ago, we are starting to use Rx drugs as performance enhancers, and the use of consumer advertising to promote prescription medications has predictably created a much stronger consumer mindset about the use of these substances.

—–

image: prescriptiondrug/shutterstock

 

TAGGED:prescription drug abuse
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

Clinical Expertise
Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
Health care
May 18, 2025
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Health
May 15, 2025
Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
Health
May 15, 2025
Dr. Klaus Rentrop Shares Acute Myocardial Infarction heart treatment
Dr. Klaus Rentrop Shares Acute Myocardial Infarction
Cardiology
May 13, 2025

You Might also Like

Health carePublic Health

10 Ways You Can Promote Good Community Healthcare

February 25, 2024

Positive Health and the Heart

July 28, 2011
eHealthHealth carePublic Health

Addressing Addiction In Primary Care

September 21, 2018
risk management in surgery
Hospital AdministrationPublic Health

Risk-Proofing the Surgical Episode for Patients

October 31, 2014
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?