When you hear of drug abuse you usually think of street drugs such as weed, cocaine, and heroine. But sometimes, the abused drugs sit right in the medicine cabinet.
My mom has anxiety, and for that, she takes Xanax, commonly known as “bars” and “xannies” on the street. My dad has back pain because of his labor-intensive work, so he’s prescribed Vicodin, a painkiller. But they weren’t the only ones taking them, I was, too.
Prescription drug abuse is a growing problem for teens. A survey from 2013 showed that 24% of high school students, which calculates to about 5 million, have abused prescription drugs, 20% saying their first experience was before the age of 14.
Statistics also show that “after marijuana and alcohol, prescription drugs are the most commonly abused substances by Americans age 14 and older.”
Personally, I was abusing these drugs just to get away. I suffer silently from depression, plus stress from school and the stigma around mental illness inhibited me from getting professional help. These drugs were the only thing I had to relieve myself from my own thoughts, and I didn’t have any money to get a hold of street drugs.
If the stigmatization of mental illness hadn’t stopped me from getting the help I needed, I wouldn’t have turned to abusing prescription drugs.
In addition, 7% of students at the high school and collegiate level abuse stimulant medication to help with the overload of work, or hours of studying during finals. 47% of students reported that it was “fairly/very easy” to obtain stimulants, either sold illegally or from relatives.
Furthermore, prescription drugs are easier accessible than illegal street drugs. Many teens take the medication from parents and other relatives without them knowing. Leaving highly addictive drugs such as opioids, depressives, and stimulants out in the open and in the reach of teenagers is dangerous.
Another reason teens abuse medication is because of the lack of education. Of the 24% of abusers, 20% thought that because the drugs are legal and prescribed that they are safer than street drugs. Sure, they’re safe, but only when used how they are prescribed. When abused, the prescriptions drugs can severely damage the body, and even cause an accidental overdose.
I didn’t stop abusing these drugs until I almost died from overdosing, twice.
The first step to preventing teen prescription abuse is for parents of teens to hide and lock up potentially abusive medication. It may seem inconvenient, but it could save a life. Also, teens need to start becoming more educated as to what drugs to do the body. Doing some simple googling or even enacting more programs/clubs in school like HIP can really help teens become aware.
Here are some Prescription/Drug Abuse Hotlines:
