ABUSE MAGAZINE
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Today teenagers are not using as much
cocaine, crack, LSD, and ecstasy as the
teenagers of the 1960’s. Kids have found
other ways and means to get high; painkillers and other prescription drugs are
being abused at record levels. This up
coming generation of teens has been given
the name “Generation Rx.”
• Feel like they don’t fit in and are not
popular with the mainstream
• Frequently feel sluggish and have
difficulty sleeping
• Aggressive and rebellious attitude
toward authority figures
Prescription drug abuse is increasing; the
main reason is that they are so easily accessible. If your child has one or more of the
above behaviors, seek help from a professional.
Photo Source: prescriptiondrugabusehelp.com
Teenage Prescription Drug Abuse
Some things that you can share with your
teen about prescription medications are:
• Pharmaceuticals taken without a
prescription or a doctor’s supervision
can be just as dangerous as taking
illicit drugs or alcohol
• Abusing painkillers is like abusing
heroin because their ingredients are
similar (both are opiates).
Teens are often getting caught raiding
their parent’s or grandparent’s medicine
cabinets in order to get high. For the first
time, national studies show that today’s
teens are more likely to have abused a prescription painkiller than any illicit drug.
• Prescription medications are powerful
substances. Medications help sick
people and are administered by a
doctor. When prescription medication
is not used for sickness and not
administered by a professional, it
becomes a controlled substance and
the impact on the person can be
deadly.
Teenagers may get involved with prescription drugs in various ways. The experimental stage can be very dangerous,
because kids often don’t see the link
between their actions today the consequences of their actions tomorrow.
• Many pills look the same and
teenagers may get them mixed up.
This can cause different reactions in
different people due to the body’s
chemistry. It is extremely dangerous
to take pills that are unknown.
Most teens have a tendency to feel indestructible and immune to the problems that
others experience. Some teens will experiment and stop, while others may continue
to use occasionally without any significant
problem. Then there are those who develop
a dependency; these are the ones that need
immediate intervention and help learning
to make better decisions.
It is impossible to predict which teens
will experiment and stop and which ones
will develop serious problems. Know what
your teen is doing and who they are doing it
with. The following are some warning signs
of teenagers at risk for developing serious
prescription drug dependency:
• A family history of substance or
alcohol abuse
• Depression
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712-792-2280
“We at Walmart are 100% committed
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• Mixing drugs with other substances
is very dangerous. Some people
have allergic reactions to different
chemicals when they are mixed
together.
What can you do to help prevent teens or
any other person from getting involved with
prescription drug abuse? The best thing to
do is keep your prescription drugs in a safe
place: don’t put them in the medicine cabinet in your bathroom because that is the
first place teenager’s will look. If possible,
lock them up in a cabinet or safe box. Talk
to your teen and warn them of the dangers
of prescription drug abuse.
• Low self-esteem
Source: The National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI).
http://www.drugfree.org/portal/DrugIssue/Features/Prescription_MedicineMisuse
We at KFC’s are proud to
support our drug free youth!
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Council Bluffs, IA
712-322-1166
2810 W. Broadway
Council Bluffs, IA
712-322-5542
abusemagazine.org | Iowa Fall/Winter 2013-2014 |
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