Teenage drug abuse is on the rise. Teens can abuse prescription drugs anywhere, but parties where teenagers swap prescription drugs with others to get high are an alarming new trend. According to Drug Rehab Treatment, a drug treatment center that provides resources for adolescents who are addicted to drugs, Pharm Parties are a popular craze. What's more, there usually is no cost involved. To participate, teenagers simply swap a drug taken from a home medicine cabinet for a prescription stolen by another teen.
The Attraction of Prescription Drugs
Teens often look at prescription drugs as a safe alternative to street drugs. In reality, nothing is further from the truth. Although prescriptions are regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration, their effective use is limited to those with specific medical conditions.
In other words, taking a drug that isn't meant for you can have serious side effects, including death. Some drugs can cause long-term damage to the liver, heart or kidneys. Crushing a prescription pill to boost the high, often done with Oxycontin, can cause a lethal overdose because the active ingredients in the pill are not meant to be ingested all at once.
A teenager who experiments with prescription drugs may end up with more than he bargained for. People who abuse prescription drugs may become ill, land in the hospital or die after consumption. Knowing this, why do so many teenagers still take the chance?
Fitting in. If a teenager feels swapping or just giving away one or two pills from Mom and Dad's medicine cabinet-pills he knows his parents won't miss-will elevate her in the eyes of her peers, she may do it.
Getting high. If a teenager is depressed or anxious, or simply finds himself lost socially or emotionally, he may use prescription drugs in order to tune out the world.
Earning cash. Some teens steal and then resell prescriptions to get money from their peers. The money may be needed for a luxury item or it may be needed for necessities.
Looking cool. Most teenagers today have access to the Web. This lets them look up different drugs and read for themselves what side effects those drugs may cause. To make matters worse, whenever a celebrity is discovered overdosing or under the influence of illegal or prescribed substances, the media is more than happy to provide its audience with all the information, including where the drug was obtained, what it's side effects are and how it works in the human body when taken in large doses. Teenagers often want to emulate celebrities or to be a part of the new cool trend.
Keeping Prescription Drugs Away from Teens
Monitor all medications that enter your household. Know how many pills are in each bottle and how many you have used. If you find you require additional pills before the prescription should have run out, it's up to you to make sure someone isn't abusing your medications.
To ensure no one has free access to your medication, keep all prescription as well as over the counter drugs under lock and key. If necessary, carry the key on a chain around your neck. Encourage your friends and the parents of your child's friends to do the same with their medicine cabinets.
If your teen is taking a prescription or over-the-counter medicine, control the doses yourself. Keep the prescriptions locked up as you would your own. Most high schools require students to have medications administered by the school nurse, with the exception of rescue inhalers used by kids with asthma.
Always dispose of unused or old medications in the proper manner.
Stay in Touch
Know where your child is and who else is around. Don't allow your child to stay overnight with just anyone. Call the parents of your child's friends. Make sure that everyone is on the same page when it comes to rules for behavior.
Nothing is better than face-to-face contact between you and your child. Make time every day to talk about school and friends. Find out about weekend plans and get-togethers. When your child gets home, be there to greet him. It's easy to tell if a child is under the influence. If he is, let him sleep it off and plan to talk about it the next morning.
As the parent you have the right to check on your child at any time of the day or night. If you suspect your child is lying to you about where she will be, stop by and see for yourself. If you think your child is hanging around with the wrong crowd, change the situation. Find activities that encourage positive interaction or keep your child occupied with an afterschool job. Less time alone with friends means fewer opportunities to engage in dangerous behavior.
 | Drug abuse among teenagers starts earlier and occurs with around one third of kids. While alcohol is still the drug of choice, meth and pharmaceuticals are becoming more popular. |
 | There are many causes of teenage drug abuse, including a lack of parental involvement, a lack of education on the dangers of drugs and an atmosphere of tolerance at schools. |
If you decide to drug test at home, there is a variety of drug test kits on the market. It can be hard to choose kit which will be reliable and accurate. |
Even as the number of kids using alcohol and illegal drugs dropped, the number of teens getting high with cough syrup abuse has been increasing. |
You may think it is ridiculous to provide your child information about alcohol, illegal and prescription drugs at a young age. In fact, it is one of the most important conversations you need to have with your child. |
