Prescription & Over-the-Counter Drugs

Prescription and over-the-counter medications are fast becoming the new “party” drugs for many teenagers. Nearly one in five teens has used narcotic pain relievers for nonmedical reasons. Teens are using prescription and over-the-counter drugs in order to get a high. Typically, parent’s medicine cabinets are the main source of these drugs for teens.

          There are warning signs that your child might be misusing these drugs , such as if they get in the habit of  using medicine that are not medically intended for them or if they are taking higher doses then prescribed.

When a child misuses these drugs it can cause dramatic increases in blood pressure and heart rate, organ damage, addiction, difficulty breathing, seizures, and possibly death.

Statistics

     1 in 5 teens have tried vicodin

     1 in 10 has tried OxyContin

     1 in 10 has used stimulants such as Ritalin and adderall for nonmedical purposes

     1 in 11 teens have admitted to getting high on cough medicine