Campaign begun to fight teen prescription drug abuse

For the U of A Division of Agriculture

LITTLE ROCK -- Nearly a quarter of Arkansas high school students say they've abused prescription drugs by the time they're seniors and health experts say communications and vigilance are the best means to reduce the abuse rate.

On March 12, the Arkansas Youth Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Campaign, which includes the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, will launch a statewide campaign to raise awareness of the issue.

"Many teenagers -- and adults -- think because medicines are legal, it's safe for anyone to take, whether the prescription is for them or not," said Margaret Harris, Ph.D., assistant professor of health with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

According to the 2008 Arkansas Present Needs Assessment, by the time Arkansas high school students have reached their senior year, 22 percent have abused prescription drugs. The same source found that Arkansas sixth-graders abuse more prescription drugs than any other substance except alcohol and cigarettes.

Prescription drugs are easily accessible in the family medicine cabinet and 1 in 3 teens thinks there's nothing wrong with using prescription drugs every once in a while, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

"Some adults may even give their family members prescriptions like cough syrup with codeine or a muscle relaxer without it being prescribed for them," she said. "This tells a child it is OK, when it is not only wrong but also harmful."

Some of the most often abused medicines are painkillers, as well as others such as anti-anxiety pills and treatments for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, also known as ADHD, which also have a hunger-suppressant some teenagers use to keep from gaining weight. These drugs may be left over from a grandparent's surgery, used by a parent during a particularly stressful time, or taken each day by a sibling. Other legal drugs teenagers may abuse come over the counter and include cough syrup, diet pills and laxatives.

"It is hard to be a teenager," Harris said. "With the added burden of stress these days, teenagers are not only abusing prescription for recreation or to fit in, but they are using them to manage their lives for reasons such as lowering stress and anxiety, boost their mood, do better in sports or even be able to stay up longer studying for exams.

"Some prescription drugs are also an easy source of making money when sold to others and they're easier to hide than illicit drugs," she said.

Monitor, secure and dispose to keep children from taking medication:

Keep track of how much medicine is in the home.

Secure medicine like other valuables, preferably locking it up and keeping out of sight.

Clean cabinets of medicines that are no longer needed, used or have passed their expiration dates.

Over-the-counter and prescription drugs can be disposed by putting them in a zip-top plastic bag, mixing with water or vinegar and an undesirable substance such as coffee grounds or cat litter and then throwing them away.

Some controlled substances need to be flushed down the toilet (See the www.fda.gov for the list).

"You can also check with your local police department to see if they have a take-back program," Harris said.

*

Statistics related to Arkansas teens and abuse of prescription drugs in Arkansas:

* Arkansas is among states with the highest rates of non-medical use of pain relievers among 12- to 25-year-olds.

* 22 percent of Arkansas high school students say they've abused prescription drugs by the time they're seniors.

* Arkansas sixth-graders abuse more prescription drugs than any other substance except alcohol and cigarettes.

* 1 in 3 teens reports knowing someone who abuses prescription drugs.

* 62 percent of teens believe most teens get drugs from their parents' medicine cabinets and 63 percent of teens believe drugs are easy to get from their parents' medicine cabinets, up from 56 percent last year.

* 1 in 5 teens share their prescription drugs with friends.

* The Saline County Sheriff's Operation Medicine Cabinet, a program to take back unwanted or unused prescription drugs, gathered nearly 52,000 pills in eight hours back in February.

* 33 percent of teens think "there's nothing wrong" with using prescription drugs every once in a while.

* Girls are more likely than boys to intentionally misuse prescription medicine to get high.