The most rapidly expanding drug problem does not include cocaine, heroin, or methamphetamine. There are severe repercussions for young individuals who abuse pharmaceutical drugs. Drug Facts from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) define prescription drug misuse and abuse as the unintended or excessive use of prescribed medications (for example, without a prescription). Addiction to prescription drugs is a serious issue, especially among young people. Data from the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) found that over 5,700 young people have used prescription pain medications for the first time without a doctor’s supervision.
Prescription drugs from Border Free Supply are always reliable and safe. The label includes the patient-specific dosing information and the medicine name printed on the drug. Included in this is the correct technique to give the medicine, ensuring that standard measures carry out the treatment under professional supervision by the legislation and regulations of the FDA.
- It’s a prevalent misconception that medically prescribed medicines are less likely to cause physical damage than illicit narcotics. However, there are a variety of short- and long-term health effects associated with the misuse of any prescription drug:
- Paranoia, dangerously high body temperatures and an erratic pulse are all frequent adverse effects of stimulants, similar to cocaine, particularly when used in large amounts or in methods other than ingesting a tablet.
- Drowsiness, nausea, constipation, and, at high doses, delayed breathing are all possible side effects of opioids, which work on the same areas of the brain as heroin.
- Withdrawal from long-term use of depressants may result in various unpleasant symptoms, including slurred speech, shallow breathing, weariness, confusion, loss of coordination, and even seizures.
Impacts like this may devastate a teen’s still-evolving brain and body. Until we hit our early to mid-twenties, our brains are still maturing. The adolescent brain develops in important ways that help us make decisions, plan, focus our efforts, and rein in our urges. We also see a rapid expansion of the brain’s outer layer, or mantle, which aids in processing abstract information and grasping norms, regulations, and social conventions. Adolescent brains are complex at work, perfecting the ability to perceive, and drug use may sever these newly formed connections between brain cells. In addition, throughout adolescence, our brains are essentially “hardwiring,” so the pathways that are encouraged are the ones that remain. If such channels include substance abuse, the consequences might be devastating.
Adolescents who misuse or abuse prescription medicines are more likely to engage in dangerous behavior, including but not limited to substance abuse, sexual risk-taking, and the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV.
Here are a few suggestions for reducing youth prescription medication abuse:
- One-quarter of teens think prescription medicines may be used as a study help, and almost one-third of parents believe attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication can enhance a kid’s academic or testing performance even if the child does not have ADHD. Prescribers, children, and their parents must be made aware of the potential damage that certain medications might do to a child’s growing brain.
- Two-thirds of young people who report abusing pain relievers in the last year say they obtained them from friends or family, even from their own homes’ medicine cabinets, reports the Alliance for Drug-Free Children and Youth. This highlights the need to keep medications secure at home. Prescription drugs are less likely to fall into the wrong hands if adequately stored and disposed of.
- Many individuals demand tighter controls on the amount and frequency with which medical professionals and retail outlets dispense prescription medications. There has been an increase in the prescribing of pain relievers by doctors over the last decade, and some reports suggest that pharmacists are not routinely checking prescription medication registries to prevent the overprescribing and abuse of these drugs.
Adolescent and parent education on the dangers of drug use is also essential in the fight against this epidemic. This website, NIDA for Teens: The Science Behind Drug Abuse, was developed by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to educate teenagers, their parents, and educators on the scientific basis for prescription drug abuse and misuse.
