Center for Addiction Medicine

02/06/2008 - Teen Prescription Drug Addiction: Scary and Rising

The thought of a teenage child addicted to cocaine or crystal meth may terrify parents, but a new report show parents may want to focus less on back alley street drugs and more on their own medicine cabinets.

According to a report released last month by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), prescription drug abuse is a far bigger problem among teens, with more kids abusing Vicodin, Percocet and other prescription drugs than meth, cocaine and heroin combined.

According to ONDCP, every day some 2,500 kids age 12-17 abuse a prescription painkiller for the first time and more people are getting addicted to prescription drugs. Drug treatment admissions for prescription painkillers increased more than 300 percent from 1995 to 2005.

Additionally, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of poisonings and even deaths associated with the abuse of prescription and over-the-counter drugs. Unintentional poisoning deaths involving psychotherapeutic drugs, such as sedative-hypnotics and anti-depressants, grew 84 percent from 1999 to 2004.

The prescription drugs most commonly abused by teens are painkillers, prescribed to treat pain; depressants, such as sleeping pills or anti-anxiety drugs; and stimulants, mainly prescribed to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Of major concern among doctors is addiction to prescription drugs. Painkillers are the most commonly abused drugs among 12-17 year-olds, who turn to these drugs even more than marijuana. Opiate-based prescription painkillers can lead to addiction as hard to break as that of heroin

• Among teens that have abused painkillers, nearly one-fifth (18%) used them                   at least weekly in the past year.
• Pain relievers like Vicodin and OxyContin are the prescription drugs most            commonly abused by teens.
• Among 12th graders, past-years abuse of OxyContin increased 30 percent                     between 2002through 2007.
• Past years 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.
• Nearly three out of 10 teens believe prescription painkillers—even if not                           prescribed by a doctor—are not addictive.

Teens are abusing prescription drugs because they are widely available, inexpensive, and they believe they are not as risky as street drugs. The majority of teens who abuse these products say they get them for free, usually from friends and relatives, and often without their knowledge. Because these drugs are so readily available, teens who otherwise wouldn’t touch street drugs might abuse prescription drugs.

What's more, research shows many parents are not aware of teen prescription drug abuse and are not discussing the dangers with their teens. Only a third of parents have discussed the risks of prescription drugs with their teen.

To get the message across, the drug office launched a $30 million dollar advertising campaign, starting with two ads during the Superbowl and an open letter to parents in 43 national and regional newspapers such as The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, and The Los Angeles Times endorsed by 11 leading health, medical, prevention, and educational organizations. 

When used correctly and under the care of a health provider, prescription drugs provide many benefits. But there are serious consequences to abusing prescription drugs or combining them with alcohol or other drugs, as many teens do.

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