The war on drugs has been a hard fought battle in the United States for several decades, and with the advances in technology and education during that time, many lives have been saved from the horrors of drug abuse and addiction.
However, every generation must fight its own battle with this scourge on society, and although many of these battles have been won, there are still those who have the desire to “experiment” with mind-altering substances.
It can arguably be said that efforts made by law enforcement, private organizations, educational institutions and the government have resulted in illegal drugs becoming harder and harder for many to obtain.
The only downside to that achievement is that as a result of this scarcity, some in our society, and teenagers in particular, have turned to abusing over the counter (OTC) medications.
According to the 2011 “Monitoring the Future Study”, 5 percent of teenagers in America abuse over the counter medications.
Teen Medicine Abuse has become a rising problem in our society, and it is time that we educate our youth and ourselves on the dangers of this issue.
We have discussed the many and varied reasons that many teens use drugs (legal, illegal or over the counter) many times in the past, but it bears repeating.
Many teens use these substances to attain a high to escape from boredom, depression or pressure. They may feel pressure to perform better in school, sports and in social settings, and use these drugs as way to feel more energy or focused.
Sometimes peer pressure and pressure from family members is a factor, but they also may use these substances to help obtain a better physical appearance.
Whatever the reason, it is a form of escapism and is rooted in psychological issues many teens face.
Although there are many over the counter medications that are subject to abuse by teens, the most popular by far is cough medicine. According to a survey performed by the “Partnership for a Drug Free America” in 2006, 1 in 10 teens reported abusing cough medicine to get high, and 55 percent of teens surveyed stated that they did not believe that abusing cough medicine to get high was risky.
However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) unintentional deaths due to drug poisoning increased 68.3 percent between 1999 and 2004, and that in 2006, unintentional poisoning caused over 700,000 emergency department visits.
In fact, drug poisoning is second only to motor vehicle crashes as a cause of death from unintentional injury.
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So why is cough medicine so popular among teens who abuse over the counter drugs? Of course, part of its popularity is that it is easily obtained and relatively inexpensive.
Many also assume that because it is OTC it must be safe. However, the user must take very high doses to attain the high, and it also has many dangerous side effects.
The active ingredient that causes this high is Dextromethorphan (DXM).
While perfectly safe in its recommended dose, teens often take many times this amount, which can lead to hallucinations, loss of motor control, and dissociative sensations, as well as confusion, paranoia, impaired judgment, slurred speech, blurred vision, and dizziness.
Other symptoms can include excessive sweating, abdominal pain or nausea, vomiting, irregular or rapid heartbeat, high blood pressure, headache, and lethargy.
In some cases they may experience numbness of their fingers and toes, facial redness, dry and itchy skin, unconsciousness, seizures, brain damage, or even death.
DXM can also cause hyperthermia (high fever) which can be especially dangerous to teens who are participating in sports or other activities that could compound this problem.
So how are teens finding out about OTC medicine abuse?
Unfortunately there are many websites on the Internet that promote the abuse of these medicines, and provide step by step instructions on how to abuse these drugs.
Many even tell your teen exactly how much to take by how much they weigh, how to extract the DXM to take directly, and many even sell a raw form of the ingredient.
The best way to prevent your teen from being drawn into this dangerous habit is to monitor what they are doing on the internet and in their free time.
Review their website history and make sure that the sites they are visiting are not promoting drug abuse.
Look for signs such as a change in friends, eating or sleeping patterns, or physical appearance and hygiene.
Loss of interest in favorite activities, declining grades, and unexplained hostility can also be signs, as well as the disappearance of money, empty drug containers or if your teenager and/or his room smell chemical or medicinal.
Know who their friends are, as many times teens are introduced to these behaviors by friends who abuse drugs.
In fact, The Partnership for a Drug-Free America states that over half of all teens say they have close friends who get high regularly, so keep an eye on with whom your kids are keeping company.
The good news in all of this is that according to StopMedicineAbuse.org, teens who are educated about these risks by their parents are 50 percent less likely to abuse drugs.
Communicating with your teen can be the most important step in preventing or halting this kind of abuse, so be involved with what they are doing and keep the lines of communication open.
If you do determine that your teen has a problem with drug abuse, there is help available.
The U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration provides a toll free help line at 1-800-662-HELP, or you can visit them online at: findtreatment.samhsa.gov
