|
New
Jersey Teen Drug and Alcohol Abuse Facts
While prescription drug abuse was not new to Middlesex County,
NJ, a combination of a personal tragedy and an acknowledgment
of a growing teen prescription drug abuse trend prompted this
community to take action. In 2003, Linda Surks, the NCADD’s
Coalition Coordinator, lost her son Jason to prescription
drug abuse. A Rutgers pre-pharmacy student, Jason died as
a result of a prescription drug overdose. He had ordered the
drugs (without a prescription) online from a pharmacy in overseas.
Since Jason’s death, Surks and the NCADD of Middlesex
County, Inc., have spearheaded the creation of a broad-based,
statewide public awareness campaign and worked to implement
prevention policies. Public service announcements, print media,
curricula, and training targeting parents, the medical community,
and teenagers are planned for a Spring 2008 launch.
“We’re taking every opportunity to spread the
word that prescription drugs are dangerous when misused or
abused. You’ve got to saturate the community with materials
and training. You’ve got to encourage parents to openly
and honestly talk with their teens about prescription and
OTC abuse. Keep putting the message out there, and never stop.
Availability and misperceptions about the harm these drugs
can do when misused has complicated this issue, and we really
have to sound the alarm.”
Prescription drugs, when used as prescribed, can be powerful
and effective medicines. However, many teens are abusing prescription
drugs to get high.
In fact, more teens abuse prescription drugs than any illicit
drug except marijuana — more
than cocaine, heroin, and methanphetamine combined, according
to the 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH).
More than 2.1 million teens ages 12 to 17 reported abusing
prescription drugs in 2006. Among 12- and 13-yearolds, prescription
drugs are their drug of choice (NSDUH, 2007).
Prescription painkillers like Vicodin and OxyContin are the
most often abused prescription drugs (NSDUH, 2007). The most
recent Monitoring the Future Survey (MTF) found that past-year
abuse of Vicodin is particularly high among 8th, 10th, and
12th graders, with nearly one in 10 high school seniors reporting
taking it in the past year without a doctor’s approval
(MTF, 2007). And the trend is growing; over a five year period
(2002-2007), pastyear use of OxyContin increased by 30 percent
(MTF, 2007).
REAL STORIES OF TEENS WHO ABUSE PRESCRIPTION DRUGS:
Meet Jay, a good student whose parents had no idea he
was going to school high on prescription drugs. He’d
been abusing drugs since he was 13. Percocet, OxyContin, Xanax,
Vicodin, Ritalin, and Adderall were his drugs of choice. He
entered treatment at age 17.
Then there’s Sara, who started abusing drugs at age
12. She said she could get her hands on prescription drugs
just as fast as she could buy a pizza. She’d pop a pill
anywhere, anytime, and no one noticed. Now Sara’s in
recovery for prescription drug abuse, as well.
And finally, there’s Eddie, whose abuse of prescription
drugs led to his death after overdosing on a mix of pills.
A toxicology report indicated that he had 134 milligrams of
Xanax – the equivalent of 67 pills – in his system
when he died. Says Eddie’s mother, “Police, teachers,
and parents are so fixated on street drugs such as marijuana,
cocaine, and Ecstasy that they are missing the start of an
epidemic.”
Widespread availability, teen misconceptions, and parental
lack of knowledge about risks make prescription drug abuse
a challenging but imperative issue for the prevention community.
“The time for action is now,” says Becky Carlson,
the Coordinator for the Sussex County, NJ, Coalition for Healthy
and Safe Families. “My counselors are seeing kids every
day who are addicted to illicit drugs and who are also abusing
prescription drugs. When the perception of harm is low, as
it is with prescription drug abuse, the rate of use is going
to go up. This is what’s happening right now, and we
need to sound the alarm before more teens die.” Coalitions
can play a powerful role through education and outreach. This
Strategizer arms coalitions with messages and advice to help
inform, educate, and implement strategies that will ultimately
change beliefs and behaviors. You can be instrumental in saving
the lives of thousands of young people, enabling teens like
Jay, Sara, and Eddie to experience a safe and healthy adolescence
and a fulfilling adulthood.
OTC Brand Names
Coricidin HBP Cough & Cold, Robitussin, Vicks Formula,
44 Cough Relief, and others.
The Facts
In 2006, about 3.1 million people age 12 to 25 had used an
OTC cough and cold medication to get high, and nearly 1 million
had done so in the past year (Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration(SAMHSA), 2008). CADCA has strived
to put a muchneeded spotlight on this emerging drug problem.
Some young people are turning to grocery and drug store shelves
and their family medicine cabinets to get high. And it’s
not just a couple of pills or an extra swig of cough syrup
they’re ingesting. In some cases, teens are taking anywhere
from a few pills to dozens or more a day, drinking up to 3-5
bottles of cough syrup, or combining these preparations with
alcohol.
OTC drugs of choice are cough and cold medicines containing
dextromethorphan (DXM). A federallyfunded university survey
estimates the intentional abuse of cough medicine among 8th,
10th, and 12th graders at roughly 4 percent, 5 percent, and
6 percent respectively – on par with cocaine (MTF, 2007).
Other OTC drugs abused are sleep aids (Unisom), antihistamines
(Benadryl), and anti-nausea agents (Gravol or Dramamine).
Effects
People who abuse OTC medicines can experience similar side
effects to those experienced with prescription and illicit
drugs. Overdose effects can vary greatly depending on what
drugs are mixed, and the amount taken. Some OTC drugs are
weak and cause minor distress, while others are very strong
and can lead to more serious problems. Their abuse can cause
memory problems, stomach pain, high blood pressure, rapid
heartbeat, fever and headaches, rashes, and loss of consciousness.
TOLL FREE TEEN DRUG REHAB HELP LINE:
1-888-757-6237
or e-mail
us.
|
|
•
