More Teens Getting High on Prescription and OTC Drugs

Several year-end surveys of teen drug use in 2006 report good news-they show a decline in overall alcohol, cigarette, and illegal drug use by teenagers. But, as fashions change, so do the substances teenagers use to get high. A recent study shows that a small but growing number of 8th, 10th, and 12th graders reported using prescription painkillers such as Oxycontin and Vicodin, as well as over-the-counter cough medicines. Over-the-counter medicines are legal, cheap, and easy to get. Most contain dextramethorphan, a component of cough suppressants that has hallucinogenic effects at high doses. Although prescription painkillers are a little harder to get, family medicine cabinets are usually good sources.

"The intentional use of prescription and over-the-counter medicines is a pervasive problem that has become a far too normal part of many teenagers' lives," according to Stephen J. Pasierb, President and CEO, Partnership for a Drug-Free America (The New York Times, 1/8/07).

Although the number of teens who reported that they used medicine and over-the-counter drugs is not high compared to the number of teens who use illegal drugs, the trend is of concern, according to the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. Many teens believe that if medications are obtainable in a pharmacy they cannot be dangerous, but they may not realize the danger when they overdose or combine them with alcohol.

What parents can do

• Look for signs such as slurred speech, dilated pupils, sweating, high temperature, dry mouth, blurred vision, hallucinations, delusions, nausea, vomiting, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, numbness in fingers and toes, red face, loss of consciousness.

• Watch credit card charges.

• Be aware of packages that are mailed to your home.

• Note empty medicine bottles.

• Store your own medicines in a secure place and throw away outdated medicine.

• Monitor the internet sites your teen accesses. There are sites on which teens give each other information on the combinations that are most potent.

Prevention, starting at an early age, is critical.

• Remember you are your child's most important role model.

• Talk openly about the harmful effects of drug and alcohol abuse.

• Clearly state what you expect your teen to do when confronted with substance abuse.

• Help teens find alternate ways of reducing stress.

• Keep track of where, with whom, and what your teen is doing after school and other free times.

• Point out and discuss examples of substance abuse in movies, television, and other media.

About the NYU Child Study Center

The New York University Child Study Center is dedicated to increasing the awareness of child and adolescent psychiatric disorders and improving the research necessary to advance the prevention, identification, and treatment of these disorders on a national scale. The Center offers expert psychiatric services for children, adolescents, young adults, and families with emphasis on early diagnosis and intervention. The Center's mission is to bridge the gap between science and practice, integrating the finest research with patient care and state-of-the-art training utilizing the resources of the New York University School of Medicine. The Child Study Center was founded in 1997 and established as the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry within the NYU School of Medicine in 2006. For more information, please call us at (212) 263-6622 or visit us at www.aboutourkids.org.