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Page 27 | ABUSE Magazine
Source: NIDA For Teens
How Many Teens Abuse
Prescription Drugs?
Among youth who are 12 to 17 years
old, 7.4 % reported past nonmedical
use of prescription medications. According to the 2011 survey, prescription and over-the-counter drugs are
among the most commonly abused
drugs by 12th graders, after alcohol,
marijuana, and tobacco. Youth who
abuse prescription medications are
also more likely to report use of other drugs.
How Are Prescription Drugs Abused?
It depends, some people take other people’s drugs for their intended
purposes (to relieve pain, to stay
awake, or to fall asleep). Others take
them to get high, often at larger doses than prescribed, or by a different
route of administration. Most prescription drugs come in pill or capsule form. Sometimes, people who
abuse prescription drugs break or
crush the pill or capsule, then swallow the drug, sniff it, or “cook” it
turning it to liquid and then inject it.
What’s Wrong With Abusing Prescription Drugs?
Virtually every medication presents
some risk of undesirable side effects, sometimes even serious ones.
Doctors consider the potential benefits and risks to each patient before
prescribing medications. They understand that drugs affect the body
in many ways and take into account
things like the drug’s form and dose,
its possible side effects, and the potential for addiction or withdrawal.
For example, doctors know how to
change the dose of a painkiller to
prevent withdrawal symptoms. People who abuse drugs might not un-
derstand how these factors may affect them or that prescription drugs
do more than cause a high, help
them stay awake, help them relax,
or relieve pain.
•Form and dose. Doctors know how
long it takes for a pill or capsule
to dissolve in the stomach, release
drugs to the bloodstream, and reach
the brain. They also take into account
a person’s weight, how long they’ve
been prescribed the medication, and
what other medications they are taking. When abused, prescription drugs
may be taken in inappropriate doses
or by routes of administration that
change the way the drugs act in the
body, risking overdose. For example,
when people who abuse oxycodone
(OxyContin) crush and inhale the
pills, a 12-hour dose hits their central nervous system all at once which
increases their risk of addiction and
overdose.
• Side effects. Prescription drugs are
designed to treat a particular illness
or condition, but they often have
other effects on the body, some of
which can be dangerous. These are
referred to as side effects. For example, OxyContin stops pain, but it also
causes constipation and drowsiness
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