Teenage Drug Abuse: Legal Drugs of Abuse Teens Love
Posted Feb 02 2011 11:15am
I am a psychiatrist specializing in addiction. I have seen an increase of teenage drug abuse in the last 5 years in my practice. Of the teens I treat, they are more likely these days to abuse “legal” drugs- some prescription and some non-prescription. They get the medications from medicine cabinets of their parents, grandparents, or “on the street”. They tell me medications are easy to get.
Here are the most common legal drugs of abuse I see with teenage drug use:
1. Pain pill abuse among teens is increasingly common and dangerous.
2. Adderall and Ritalin abuse is also common. Many kids on medication for Attention Deficit Disorder sell their drugs to other students. They get large supplies from their doctors.
3. Xanax and Klonopin are anti-anxiety medications that are addicting. Kids get them from parents or buy ”on the street”. When kids buy them on the street , they are called “bars” which are 2mg Xanax bars. 2mg is a heavy dose to take.
4. Cough syrup which is over the counter is a very common drug of abuse with teenage drug use.. Teens will chug it and can hallucinate and experience out of body sensations along with perceptual distortions. It is cheap and readily accessible.
Legal drugs can be deadly when taken in large doses or mixed with alcohol. Since teenage drug abuse is often accompanied by teenage alcoholism, the chance of a teen mixing prescription drugs with alcohol is very high. The result might be an unintentional overdose. For example, pain pills and the anti-anxiety pills are central nervous system depressants. They “calm” the brain. Alcohol is the same way. When mixed with these pills, the brain can get so slowed down, it doesn’t drive the breathing apparatus of the brain leading to death.
Bottom line: Teenage drug abuse of prescription pills can lead to unintentional overdose and death. Get your teen professional help if you suspect teenage alcoholism and teenage drug abuse. You may be saving your teen’s life.
Here are the most common legal drugs of abuse I see with teenage drug use:
1. Pain pill abuse among teens is increasingly common and dangerous.
2. Adderall and Ritalin abuse is also common. Many kids on medication for Attention Deficit Disorder sell their drugs to other students. They get large supplies from their doctors.
3. Xanax and Klonopin are anti-anxiety medications that are addicting. Kids get them from parents or buy ”on the street”. When kids buy them on the street , they are called “bars” which are 2mg Xanax bars. 2mg is a heavy dose to take.
4. Cough syrup which is over the counter is a very common drug of abuse with teenage drug use.. Teens will chug it and can hallucinate and experience out of body sensations along with perceptual distortions. It is cheap and readily accessible.
Legal drugs can be deadly when taken in large doses or mixed with alcohol. Since teenage drug abuse is often accompanied by teenage alcoholism, the chance of a teen mixing prescription drugs with alcohol is very high. The result might be an unintentional overdose. For example, pain pills and the anti-anxiety pills are central nervous system depressants. They “calm” the brain. Alcohol is the same way. When mixed with these pills, the brain can get so slowed down, it doesn’t drive the breathing apparatus of the brain leading to death.
Bottom line: Teenage drug abuse of prescription pills can lead to unintentional overdose and death. Get your teen professional help if you suspect teenage alcoholism and teenage drug abuse. You may be saving your teen’s life.