Teen Prescription Drug Abuse

Each day more and more teens are experimenting with hard and dangerous drugs. Not only are they getting into their parents liquor cabinets, they are finding and buying harder drugs from dangerous drug dealers. A new epidemic is flooding the country. Prescription drugs. According to doctors prescription drugs have the same effect heroin does, except prescription drugs are made by pharmacy companies who make them in the purest safest form. Just because prescription drugs are made by pharmacy companies some teens think it is safer and less addictive. T his is a major misconception.

Some people who are prescribed prescription drugs aren't addicts to begin with. When someone is taking more than prescribed and the improper dosage, this is when a negative addictive pattern is formed. The most common and abused prescription drug is OxyContin or Xanax. These drugs are meant to relieve pain and help people deal with depression. Most teens who abuse prescription drugs will buy or steal them from parents or family members. One of the most common ways a teen drug addict will abuse the drug is by crushing it up and snorting it up their nose. This way the drug hits the brain faster and produces a more intense high.

There are groups and communities today who are trying to get the government to ban or require doctors and clinics to try harder at regulating the drugs in a more efficient way. If prescription drugs are used in a proper manner with correct dosages they can and have helped thousands of Americans. However, like most drugs, if they aren't used properly they can be very addictive. Most doctors and health care providers know how to control dosages so the person in pain won't become addicted or suffer withdrawals when they finish the pills.

When teenagers abuse any type of drug, it can have permanent and have long lasting side effects. If teenagers snort prescription drugs it can have a serious impact on their brains. A teen is still in puberty and their bodies and brains are not fully developed. According to drugabuse.gov almost 2 million teens in 2008 used or have tried prescription drugs. This means that more and more teenagers are abusing prescription drugs over marijuana, alcohol and other minor drugs. If you suspect your teen is abusing prescription drugs you need to get help before it turns into a bigger problem. There are many type of treatment centers designed to help teens with addictions and behavior problems. Give us a call today and we can walk you through some of those options.