“Parents are often looking for hidden dangers in their teens’ lives, and prescription drug misuse is one thing that can easily fly under the parental radar.
Why is it a risk? For one, prescription medications are accessible and widely distributed, making it easier than ever for an unauthorized person to get their hands on them. Some of these medications may have been prescribed to a teen or another person at home. In some cases, however, teens may start to misuse their prescriptions or those of a family member or friend. Having a prescription for a medication may seem less suspicious than having an illicit, illegal drug, which can make it easier for teens to keep misuse hidden.
How can parents keep kids safe in light of the growing prescription misuse trend? This guide will give you a starting point for new conversations with your teen, ideas for further research, and tips on how to keep your children safe from prescription misuse.
What is prescription drug misuse?
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines drug misuse as “the use of a substance for a purpose not consistent with legal or medical guidelines.”
According to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), prescription medications are commonly misused by teens, following marijuana, synthetic marijuana, and alcohol as the top substances for this age group.
Prescription drug misuse accounts for more than 35% of opioid drug overdose deaths in the U.S., and most of the teens who misuse drugs get them free from people they know rather than buying them illegally.
Most commonly misused prescriptions
While any drug has the potential for misuse, the DEA shares that most fall into these three categories:
- Opioids, such as OxyContin, which are prescribed to treat pain
- Stimulants, such as Adderall or Ritalin, which are used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Depressants, such as Xanax and other members of the benzodiazepine family, which are used as a sleep aid or to treat anxiety
The dangers of misusing prescriptions and over-the-counter medications
All medications are drugs and therefore have the risk of causing harm to those who take them, even when carefully prescribed and taken as directed. This is why patients taking controlled prescriptions often go through additional checks and oversight by their provider to make sure the continued use is appropriate. Doctors, nurses, and pharmacists work together to check the dosage, monitor the drug effects on the body, and run tests to make sure the medicine isn’t doing damage. If the drug isn’t working as it should, adjustments may be made.
For teens using a prescription they weren’t prescribed, there is no medical supervision being offered by a healthcare provider. They might not take an appropriate dosage or understand the potential for side effects. They don’t have an expert to turn to if something goes wrong.
Prescription drug misuse signs and symptoms
The signs of prescription drug misuse can be subtle. Parents, schoolteachers, and trusted adults may be able to stop prescription drug misuse in teens by knowing the potential signs and physical symptoms. For example, if your child is misusing prescriptions, you may notice changes in their behavior.
Signs
- Avoiding daily activities and responsibilities
- Secretiveness
- Late-night disappearances
- Empty medicine bottles in the trash or prescriptions you don’t recognize
- Extra doctor visits or trips to the pharmacy, early refills for prescribed medications, or lost prescription medicines (which may be an excuse to get additional refills)
Physical symptoms
- Sleep or appetite changes
- Excessive thirst
- Sudden weight loss or weight gain
- Signs of possible withdrawal, such as sweating, feeling clammy, and dilated pupils
Physical symptoms may depend on the drug that was taken:
- Opioid use: Sleepiness, constipation, lack of coordination, slow breathing
- Stimulant use: Insomnia, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, high body temperature
- Sedatives and anti-anxiety use: Dizziness, unbalanced or unsteady walking, sleepiness, slowed breathing
Mental symptoms
- Personality changes
- Extreme mood swings
- Atypical behavior
Mental symptoms may depend on the drug that was taken:
- Opioid use: Euphoria or feeling high, mental confusion, changes in pain sensitivity
- Stimulant use: Euphoria, restlessness, overactive mind, paranoia, anxiety, unusual alertness
- Sedatives and anti-anxiety medication use: Reduced concentration, mental confusion, memory problems, slurred speech
Additional considerations
- Every person is different, so your teen may not show all of the signs
- Other symptoms are possible, so watch for anything unusual
- Some teens are able to hide a few or all of their symptoms
- Remember that there could also be a legitimate underlying medical cause unrelated to drug use (for instance, dizziness is also a common sign of having a heart condition)
If you recognize any of these signs and symptoms in your child, it’s important not to panic. This list should be considered a guide and not a definitive diagnosis. Even if your teen is actually misusing drugs, he or she needs you to be a reliable and caring adult presence who can provide the truth about prescription drugs and the potential dangers of prescription drug misuse.
How parents can help prevent teen prescription misuse: Scripts for parents, teachers, and mentors
Teens do listen to adults around them, and you can have an impact—statistics prove it. Kids are 50% less likely to use drugs when their parents regularly discuss the dangers with them. Often, teenagers are more rational than we expect them to be and are receptive to positive influence even if they don’t outwardly show it.”
Reposted from Singlecare.com – https://www.singlecare.com/blog/preventing-teen-prescription-misuse/
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Posted: August 19, 2023 by drmoea
Preventing teen prescription misuse
“Parents are often looking for hidden dangers in their teens’ lives, and prescription drug misuse is one thing that can easily fly under the parental radar.
Why is it a risk? For one, prescription medications are accessible and widely distributed, making it easier than ever for an unauthorized person to get their hands on them. Some of these medications may have been prescribed to a teen or another person at home. In some cases, however, teens may start to misuse their prescriptions or those of a family member or friend. Having a prescription for a medication may seem less suspicious than having an illicit, illegal drug, which can make it easier for teens to keep misuse hidden.
How can parents keep kids safe in light of the growing prescription misuse trend? This guide will give you a starting point for new conversations with your teen, ideas for further research, and tips on how to keep your children safe from prescription misuse.
What is prescription drug misuse?
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines drug misuse as “the use of a substance for a purpose not consistent with legal or medical guidelines.”
According to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), prescription medications are commonly misused by teens, following marijuana, synthetic marijuana, and alcohol as the top substances for this age group.
Prescription drug misuse accounts for more than 35% of opioid drug overdose deaths in the U.S., and most of the teens who misuse drugs get them free from people they know rather than buying them illegally.
Most commonly misused prescriptions
While any drug has the potential for misuse, the DEA shares that most fall into these three categories:
The dangers of misusing prescriptions and over-the-counter medications
All medications are drugs and therefore have the risk of causing harm to those who take them, even when carefully prescribed and taken as directed. This is why patients taking controlled prescriptions often go through additional checks and oversight by their provider to make sure the continued use is appropriate. Doctors, nurses, and pharmacists work together to check the dosage, monitor the drug effects on the body, and run tests to make sure the medicine isn’t doing damage. If the drug isn’t working as it should, adjustments may be made.
For teens using a prescription they weren’t prescribed, there is no medical supervision being offered by a healthcare provider. They might not take an appropriate dosage or understand the potential for side effects. They don’t have an expert to turn to if something goes wrong.
Prescription drug misuse signs and symptoms
The signs of prescription drug misuse can be subtle. Parents, schoolteachers, and trusted adults may be able to stop prescription drug misuse in teens by knowing the potential signs and physical symptoms. For example, if your child is misusing prescriptions, you may notice changes in their behavior.
Signs
Physical symptoms
Physical symptoms may depend on the drug that was taken:
Mental symptoms
Mental symptoms may depend on the drug that was taken:
Additional considerations
If you recognize any of these signs and symptoms in your child, it’s important not to panic. This list should be considered a guide and not a definitive diagnosis. Even if your teen is actually misusing drugs, he or she needs you to be a reliable and caring adult presence who can provide the truth about prescription drugs and the potential dangers of prescription drug misuse.
How parents can help prevent teen prescription misuse: Scripts for parents, teachers, and mentors
Teens do listen to adults around them, and you can have an impact—statistics prove it. Kids are 50% less likely to use drugs when their parents regularly discuss the dangers with them. Often, teenagers are more rational than we expect them to be and are receptive to positive influence even if they don’t outwardly show it.”
Reposted from Singlecare.com – https://www.singlecare.com/blog/preventing-teen-prescription-misuse/
Category: Blog