Drug Abuse Among Teens

While hardly unique to teens — it is a problem among adults to a great degree as well — abuse of prescription drugs has become more of a problem than ever among teens and young adults. Only the use of marijuana outranks the abuse of prescription drugs among illegal drug abuse problems.

“Mike” (not his real name), 17-year-old resident of an affluent suburb of Detroit, had this to say: “I first tried pills at a party. They were out in a candy dish in the middle of a table. I was concerned at first. I didn’t know what the pills would do to me. I didn’t even know what kind they were. But the guys urged me not to be a ‘sissy’ and to try them. I took one and washed it down with a beer.

“It made me kinda dizzy and woozy. I almost passed out. But I kinda liked the feeling. So I took another one. I figured it was OK ’cause I wasn’t the one driving.

“I got to where I was looking for pills at parties and felt disappointed when they weren’t offered. After a while, I didn’t want to get high only at parties. I asked a friend where he got his pills from. I wanted to buy some and use them. He told me he bought them right in school, from one of the other kids.

“This kid wasn’t the type you’d suspect would be selling pills. Good student, not from a bad family, nothing to point in that direction. I scored some pills from him. Soon I was using every day. My folks never suspected a thing. They told me they didn’t liike the change in my personality, but they thought it was just on account of adolescence. Till I got caught in school, they never knew.”

Mike’s parents placed him in a residential treatment center; he has been “clean” ever since completing treatment.

Pills commonly abused include pain relievers, tranquilizers, stimulants, and sedatives. While adult pill abusers may buy them from a “street” source or doctor-shop to get prescriptions, teen abusers are more likely to rely on a “street” source or their parents’ medicine cabinets.

The three classes of prescription drugs most commonly abused are:

Opioids, such as codeine, oxycodone, and morphine

Central nervous system (CNS) depressants, such as barbiturates and benzodiazepines

Stimulants, such as dextroamphetamine and methylphenidate.