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Prescription Abuse (The Invisible Addiction)

PRESCRIPTION ABUSE The Invisible Addiction Information taken from the Medicine Abuse Project at Drugfree.org 2,000 Every day, 2,000 teenagers use a prescription drug to get high for the first time and it can be as easy as opening a cupboard, drawer, or medicine cabinet from the comfort of their own homes. THE FACTS Prescription medicines are now the most commonly abused drugs among K 12 to 13-year-olds 1 in 6 teens has used a prescription medicine not prescribed to them by a doctor. 2/3 of teens who abuse prescription pain relievers say they get them from family members and friends. 7% Only about 5 % report getting them from a drug dealer or over the internet. 7% of teens have abused over-the-counter (OTC) cough medicine in order to get high. 12 to 17 year olds abuse prescription drugs more than they abuse ecstasy, crack/cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine combined. 12 17 Parents aren't communicating the risks of prescription drugs as often as illegal drugs. WHY? Research by The Partnership at Drugfree.org has showed that 28% of parents have themselves taken a prescription drug without having a prescription for it themselves, a dangerous example for kids, though not necessarily drug abuse. 28% Parents are unaware of the behavior, because it wasn't as prevalent when they were teenagers. Those who are aware of it tend to underestimate the risks just as teens do. What motivates teens to engage in prescription drug abuse? THE RISKS Ultimately, their desire for getting high outweighs their perception of the risks. That's why it's important to communicate the risks of prescription drug abuse to your kids. DANGER Kids think prescription drugs are safer than street drugs, but taken incorrectly, prescription drugs can be just as dangerous. Teens think if a doctor prescribes a medication, it can't kill them. What teens don't realize is that many drugs taken in the wrong amounts or in combination with other substances can stop their hearts, make them stop breathing, or both. RIP RIP RIP Abuse of prescription drugs also often coincides with abuse of alcohol, marijuana and other street drugs. One person dies every 19 minutes from a drug overdose in the United States. 19 min. An estimated 27,000 unintentional drug overdose deaths occurred in 2007. This increasing trend is driven by prescription painkillers. 27K 2007 Unintentional drug poisoning is now the leading cause of accidental death in the US, surpassing car crashes. LEARN THE LINGO STREET NAMES/LOOK HOW IT'S TAKEN Prescription Pain Relievers Coties, Patches, White stuff, Oxy, Orange Crush, Oscar, Hydro, Tuss, Vike, cotton, kicker Swallowed, Snorted, Injected, Smoked, Rectally Prescription Depressant Swallowed, Injected, Crushed, Snorted Pinks, Reds, Yellows, Sticks, Benz, R-2, Mexican Valium, Rophies, Roofies, Footballs, Chill Pills, Tranqs, French Fries Prescription Stimulants Swallowed, Injected, Snorted Bennies, Uppers, Crosses, R-ball, Skippy, Vitamin R, MPH Cough Medicine (DXM) Swallowed, Snorted C-C-C, Red Devils, Skittles, Dex, Vitamin D, Robo, Tuss OTHER LINGO Pharming: Getting high by raiding parents' medicine cabinets for prescriptions. Recipe: Prescription drugs mixed with alcoholic beverages. Pharm Parties: Parties where teens bring prescription drugs from home, mix them together into a big bowl and grab a handful. Trail Mix: A mixture of various prescription drugs, usually served in a big bag or bowl at pharm parties. The good news is that there are steps you can take to help protect your kids from prescription drug abuse. PREVENT MONITOR: Take note of how many pills are in each of your prescription bottles or pill packets. Keep track of all refills in your home. Make certain you don't need to refill more often than expected. Be especially vigilant with meds that are known to be addictive and commonly abused by teens. SECURE: Find a safe place that only you know about to store your prescription and over-the-counter medicines. Keep them in a locked cabinet or drawer, the same way you would secure cash or jewelry. Tell relatives, especially grandparents, to lock their medicine or keep it in a safe place. Talk to the parents of your teenager's friends. Encourage them to secure their prescriptions as well. DISPOSE: Discard expired or unused Rx and OTC medicine when your teens are not home. Teens sometime take discarded meds from the trash. To prevent this, mix the medicine with an undesirable substance, like used coffee grounds or kitty litter. Put the mixture into an empty can or bag, seal and discard. Coffee Unless the directions on the packaging say otherwise, do not flush medicine down the drain or toilet. To help prevent unauthorized refills and protect your privacy, remove any personal information from prescription bottles or pill packages before you throw them away. Visit http://medicineabuseproject.org to learn more about safeguarding and disposing of medicine and find a medicine take-back location near you. Dispose of your expired or unneeded prescription medications on the next National Take-Back Day. By taking these steps together, parents, educators and community leaders can join The Partnership at Drugfree.org in preventing half a million teens from abusing medicine in the next five years. The most important thing Americans can do to turn the tide against medicine abuse for the next generation is to educate themselves. Take the Pledge to learn more and stop teen medicine abuse, and take control of your medicine by storing it securely. Education is key and medicine abuse can be prevented. Infographic designed by: Sources: "repairolabs For more information, visit www.drugfree.org/notinmyhouse www.repairlabs.com/hero Medicine Abuse Project together with http://medicineabuseproject.org THE PARTNERSHIP AT DRUGFREE,ORG Doctor Oz http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/national-take-back-day-s top-teen-medicine-abuse

Prescription Abuse (The Invisible Addiction)

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Repairlabs.com is paring up with Partnership at DrugFree.org to help bring awareness to the dangers of prescription drug abuse in teens. Repairlabs is matching any donations made on their website.

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