Prescription Drug Abuse in Teens

[palmspringsbum]

<b>Press Release </b>


Generation Rx: National Study Confirms Abuse of Prescription and Over-the-Counter Drugs 'Normalized' Among Teens

Tuesday May 16, 10:30 am ET
Partnership for a Drug Free America
<b><i><ul>
<li>Today's Teens More Likely to Abuse Rx and OTC Medications Than Many Illegal Drugs</li>

<li>Teens Think Abusing Medicines to Get High is 'Safer' Than Using Illegal Drugs</li>

<li>First-Ever National Education Campaign Targeting Rx and OTC Abuse Launches Today</li>
</i></b></ul>

WASHINGTON, May 16 /PRNewswire/ -- The intentional abuse of prescription (Rx) and over-the-counter (OTC) medications to get high is now an entrenched behavior among today's teen population, according to a national study released by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America®.

The Partnership's 18th annual study of teen drug use and attitudes confirms that Generation Rx has arrived as an alarming number of today's teenagers are more likely to have abused Rx and OTC medications than a variety of illegal drugs like Ecstasy, cocaine, crack and meth. Nearly one in five teens (19 percent or 4.5 million) report abusing prescription medications to get high; and one in 10 (10 percent or 2.4 million) report abusing cough medicine to get high.

"This study removes any doubt that intentional abuse of medications among teens is a real issue threatening the health and well being of American families," said Steve Pasierb, president & CEO of the Partnership. "We have a situation where a widespread and dangerous teen behavior has become normalized and has found its way into our homes. These findings should serve as a wake-up call to parents that their teen is facing a drug landscape that did not exist when they were teens. The abuse of prescription and over-the-counter drugs has taken root among America's teens and the behavior is not registering with parents. Unless we all take action, it is a problem that will only get worse."

Released today in Washington, D.C., the 2005 Partnership Attitude Tracking Study (PATS) surveyed more than 7,300 teenagers in grades 7-12 (margin of error: +/-1.5 percent). Top-line findings from this nationally projectable tracking study show the culture of "pharming" -- abusing a host of medicines and chemical products intentionally to get high -- has established itself among America's teen population:
<blockquote>
* Nearly one in five (19 percent or 4.5 million) teens has tried
prescription medication (pain relievers such as Vicodin and OxyContin;
stimulants like Ritalin and Adderall) to get high;

* One in 10 (10 percent or 2.4 million) teens report abusing cough
medicine to get high; and

* Abuse of Rx and OTC medications is on par or higher than the abuse of
illegal drugs such as Ecstasy (8 percent), cocaine/crack (10 percent),
methamphetamine (8 percent) and heroin (5 percent).
</blockquote>
"There is a world of difference between good medicine and bad behavior," said Dr. Michael Maves, executive vice president & CEO of the American Medical Association and Partnership board member. "When these medicines are abused -- when they are used for anything other than their intended and approved purpose -- they can be every bit as dangerous as illegal street drugs."

<i>Teens Think Intentionally Abusing Medicines to Get High is 'Safer' Than Using Illegal Drugs</i>

According to the data, an alarming number of teens have a false sense of security about the safety of abusing Rx and OTC medications:

<blockquote>
* Two in five teens (40 percent or 9.4 million) agree that Rx medicines,
even if they are not prescribed by a doctor, are "much safer" to use
than illegal drugs;

* Nearly one-third of teens (31 percent or 7.3 million) believe there's
"nothing wrong" with using Rx medicines without a prescription "once in
a while;"

* Nearly three out of 10 teens (29 percent or 6.8 million) believe
prescription pain relievers -- even if not prescribed by a doctor --
are not addictive; and

* More than half of teens (55 percent or 13 million) don't strongly agree
that using cough medicines to get high is risky.
</blockquote>
The study also found teens believe a key driver for abusing prescription pain relievers is their widespread availability and easy access. According to the data, more than three in five teens say Rx pain relievers are easy to get from parents' medicine cabinets; half of teens say they're easy to get through other people's prescriptions; and more than half of teens say pain relievers are "available everywhere;" 43 percent of teens believe pain relievers are cheap and 35 percent believe they are safer to use than illegal drugs.

"What we have here is a case of misinformation and poor attitudes -- teens seeing few health risks associated with intentional abuse -- teamed with easy access at home and via the Internet. Together it's a potentially lethal combination," said Pasierb.

<i>Parents Completely Unaware of Teens' Intentional Abuse of Medications</i>

Parents are crucial in helping prevent this behavior, but are largely unaware and feel ill-equipped to respond. Parents must educate themselves and get through to their kids:

<blockquote>
* Kids who learn a lot about the risks of drugs at home are up to 50
percent less likely to use drugs;

* Nine out of 10 parents of teens (92 percent or 22 million) say they
have talked to their teen about the dangers of drugs, yet fewer than
one-third of teens (31 percent or 7.4 million) say they "learn a lot
about the risks of drugs" from their parents.

* While three out of five parents report discussing drugs like marijuana
"a lot" with their children, only a third of parents report discussing
the risks of using prescription medicines or non-prescription cold or
cough medicine to get high.
</blockquote>
"Today's cohort of parents is the most drug-experienced in history, but they do not understand this new drug abuse behavior among their teens," said Roy Bostock, chairman of the Partnership. "They are looking for the classic signs of illegal drug abuse and are missing this trend. Parents need to be aware that the drugs their teens abuse today, including medicines, are not the drugs from decades past. Only through education and parental involvement can this trend be reversed."

<i>Partnership Launches First National Rx and OTC Medicine Abuse Education Campaign</i>

The Partnership's annual tracking study -- the largest, ongoing analysis of drug-related attitudes in the country -- began measuring teen abuse of select medications in 2003. With three years of data in hand and last year's data heralding the emergence of this new category of substance abuse, the Partnership recognized this shift in teen drug abuse behavior as one of the most significant in recent history and immediately began developing a necessary prevention and education campaign directed at parents.

Launching today, the campaign is a comprehensive, multi-year prevention communications effort targeting the abuse of Rx and OTC medications. The Partnership created this effort with support from the Consumer Healthcare Products Association and its member companies. The campaign speaks directly to parents by alerting them that their own homes are easily accessible sources for teens to obtain and abuse these medications. The campaign is comprised of hard-hitting television, newspaper, magazine and radio messages, a multifaceted interactive online component, and is supplemented by informational brochures to help parents get the conversation started with their teen. A multi-faceted public relations effort will provide additional media support for the campaign.

The campaign also features an innovative online component consisting of unique and engaging Web sites focused on the dangers of abusing cough medicine/dextromethorphan (dextromethorphan, or DXM, is the active ingredient in cough medicine). The Partnership's Web site http://www.drugfree.org features comprehensive online content on the abuse of prescription drugs. Original online content created specifically for parents and teens on the abuse of cough medicine can be found at:

<blockquote>
* For parents - http://www.drugfree.org/Parent/

* For teens - http://www.dxmstories.com/
</blockquote>
"The message of this campaign can be summed up in three words," Pasierb said. "Educate, communicate and safeguard. Educate yourself about the medications kids are abusing. Communicate with your kids and dispel the notion -- for yourself as well as for your kids -- that these medicines can be safely abused. And safeguard your medications by learning which ones can be abused, limit access to them and keep track of the quantities you have in your home -- and make sure your friends do the same."

All advertising for the campaign was created pro bono by advertising agencies Grey, DDB Chicago, Lumina Films and Dieste Harmel & Partners (Spanish-language), along with a number of production companies that donated their time and effort. All actors appear in campaign ads pro bono through the generosity of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. The Rx and OTC education effort will be a priority campaign for the Partnership, which will work directly with national and local media to gain significant placements for campaign messages.

<i>Steady Decline in Teen Drug Use, With Marked Areas of Concern</i>

The 2005 PATS study confirms that overall substance abuse is steadily declining among teens. The data show noteworthy decreases in teens' use of tobacco, and steady declines in the number of teens using alcohol. Anti-marijuana attitudes have continued to strengthen since 1998 with 37 percent of teens reporting experimentation with the drug, compared to 42 percent in 1998. Ecstasy use also continues to decline with lifetime trials at 8 percent compared to 12 percent in 2001. Use of cocaine or crack -- either lifetime trial, past year and past month -- remain stable at 8 percent.

However, the PATS data has identified inhalants and methamphetamine abuse as two areas that are cause for concern and careful monitoring:

<blockquote>
* Inhalants (inhaled fumes of household products) -- Teen trial of
inhalants has increased over the past three years to an alarming 20
percent and inhalants are currently the second most abused substances
behind marijuana (37 percent). While all measures of teen inhalant
abuse have not reached the record highs of 1998, falling perceptions of
risk indicate that additional increases in use are likely to follow.

* Methamphetamine or meth (stimulant) -- Teen perception of the risks
associated with both trying or using meth regularly have steadily
increased over the last three years and this year's data show usage
stabilized at 8 percent at the national level. While teen use of meth
is relatively low, only 54 percent of teens see great risk in trying
meth once or twice.
</blockquote>
"Teens' low perception of risk in abusing a drug can lead to abuse," said Pasierb. "History would tell us that we need to stay out in front of meth and inhalants before teen use of these drugs increases."

For more information about this study and the campaign, visit http://www.drugfree.org.

The Partnership for a Drug-Free America® is a private, non-profit coalition of professionals from the communications industry. Best known for its national, drug-education advertising campaign, the Partnership's mission is to reduce illegal drug use in America. The Partnership's State/City Alliance Program supports the Partnership's mission at the local level. The Partnership receives major funding from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and financial support from more than 200 private sector corporations. The Partnership accepts no money from alcohol or tobacco manufacturers. All actors in the Partnership's ads appear pro bono through the generosity of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: Partnership for a Drug-Free Americ

[rsteeb]

Ain't it funny that the preponderance of PFDFA, ONDCP etc's propagana rants on the horrors of marijuana being #1 most popular "illicit" substance-- when the abuse of prescriptions, inhalants, meth etc is what is maiming and killing?

Are they actually aware that the constant advertizing blitz, albeit "negative publicity", stimulates interest and curiousity among youth and encourages many to experiment and see "what the buzz is about"?? Of course it's worth that risk, in order to promote public acceptance of their malignant beaurocracies...

Kinda like Phillip Morris getting their "PSA Ads" on TV, encouraging parents to take every opportunity to talk to their rebelious kids about "Not Smoking", and logging on to phillipmorris.com for more "Not Smoking" literature, to help remind your kids about "Not Smoking"...

[damn, now I want a cigarette...]

[palmspringsbum]

What I see here in the subsidized housing/homeless services is indigent people gobbling pills by the handful (vicodin, oxycontin, methadone, seroquel, seconal, etc.) in SLEs (Sober Living Environments) which are subsidized by the government - and which blood test for illegal drugs (marijuana particularly) and exclude medical marijuana patients.

They go round and round the recovery merry-go-round, on the streets, in a program, on the streets, in a program...gobbling pills the entire way.

If it weren't so 1984ish, and real, it would be hysterically funny. Those so-called 'sober' people in those SLEs are so looped on pills they don't know their ass from a hole in the ground.

I hear Soma is real popular. And extremely addictive.

The dirty little secret is a lot of government-check pills are traded for cannabis....

[palmspringsbum]

Press Release Source: Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals Inc.


Addiction to Prescription Painkillers and Heroin Surges in Pittsburgh, Most Widely Abused Drugs Citywide

Wednesday May 31, 8:38 am ET

-- Heroin causing more than half of overdose deaths; resources on private office-based treatment available for Pittsburgh consumers --


RICHMOND, Va., May 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Opioid addiction in Pittsburgh is a growing public health concern that affects people from all walks of life. In Pittsburgh, opioid drugs such as oxycodone, morphine, and heroin are the most widely abused drugs, according to a report by the Office of National Drug Control Policy. And a report published in 2003 showed that heroin was involved in more than half of the accidental overdose deaths in Allegheny County. From a public health perspective, this means that opioid dependence is affecting increasing numbers of Pittsburgh residents with the potentially life-threatening consequences of this chronic disease.

Pittsburgh's problems reflect a national public health crisis -- according to the most recent National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2005), published by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), approximately 4.4 million teens and adults nationwide reported using prescription opioid painkillers for nonmedical purposes. In addition, in terms of new users, in 2004 more people abused opioid pain relievers for the first time than any other drug, including marijuana and cocaine, and opioid painkillers are the most heavily abused substance among teens and young adults. An estimated 1.5 million more Americans abuse heroin.

Many people do not fully understand the danger of misusing opioid painkillers. A national survey on the public's perceptions of opioid addiction, Prescription Painkiller/Heroin Addiction and Treatment, revealed that nearly half of the US public does not know that misusing prescription opioid painkillers is as harmful to the body, and fully as addictive, as heroin abuse.

"Dependence on opioids is a serious and growing health concern right here in the Pittsburgh area," said Dr. Neil A. Capretto, Medical Director, Gateway Rehabilitation Center. "My facility has seen nearly a 600% increase over the past five years in admissions for opioid abuse - prescription painkillers and heroin - and in particular I have seen opioid painkiller abuse skyrocket among young people. There is a great need for more Pittsburgh doctors to treat this disease. The good news is that although opioid addiction is a chronic disease that can happen to anyone, it can now be medically treated, just as we treat other long-term conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure." It is now possible for any doctor to take the training to become certified to treat opioid dependence in his or her private office using an FDA-approved medicine. Many patients prefer the privacy, convenience, and discretion that office-based treatment offers. "Although several more Pittsburgh-area doctors have recently become certified to treat opioid dependence in their offices, I would encourage more to do so. I have seen tremendous success with medical treatment at my facility, and there are thousands more Pittsburgh residents who need this help."

Resources for Opioid Dependence and Its Treatment

Addiction to opioids is defined as a long-term brain disease by the World Health Organization and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. It is a treatable medical condition that is caused by changes in the chemistry of the brain. This dependence can start with use of medicine that a doctor prescribes for serious pain but that a person continues to use after the medical need for pain relief has passed. Or it may begin as recreational drug use that spins out of control.

Individuals who need more information about opioid dependence and its treatment, either for themselves or for someone they are concerned about, have several options. Educational materials on opioid dependence are available to answer questions about this often-misunderstood disease and the treatments that are available for it. To receive a free educational Resource Kit on these topics, visit turntohelp.com or call 1-866-455-TURN, both provided by Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals.

Additionally, the non-profit patient advocacy group NAABT -- National Alliance of Advocates for Buprenorphine Treatment -- is dedicated to helping educate the public on opioid dependence and treatment in a private doctor's office. "Increasingly more people are contacting NAABT for information on opioid dependence and treatment," said Timothy Lepak, president of NAABT. "This is a disease that does not discriminate. It affects people from all walks of life and all socioeconomic and demographic levels."

For more information on Pittsburgh physicians who can prescribe medicine to treat opioid dependence in a private medical office, visit naabt.org. SAMHSA's Web site also provides a physician locator and other valuable information at buprenorphine.samhsa.gov.

In the United States, Suboxone® (buprenorphine HCl/naloxone HCl dihydrate) C-III Sublingual Tablets and Subutex® (buprenorphine HCl) C-III Sublingual Tablets are the only controlled medications under the Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 approved by the FDA for treatment of opioid dependence in a doctor's office. Suboxone and Subutex are manufactured by Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals.

About Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals Inc. is a specialty pharmaceutical company that manufactures and markets Suboxone® (buprenorphine HCl/naloxone HCl dihydrate [2 mg/0.5 mg and 8 mg/2 mg]) C-III Sublingual Tablets and Subutex® (buprenorphine HCl [2 mg and 8 mg]) C-III Sublingual Tablets, formulations of buprenorphine used to treat opioid dependence. Suboxone and Subutex are the only controlled medications under the Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 approved by the FDA for office-based treatment of opioid dependence. Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals Inc. is committed to expanding access to medical therapies for patients suffering from the chronic, relapsing brain disease of opioid dependence. For more information, visit suboxone.com or opioiddependence.com. Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals Inc. is a wholly- owned subsidiary of Reckitt Benckiser PLC, a publicly traded UK firm.

Important Safety Information

Intravenous use of buprenorphine, usually in combination with benzodiazepines or other CNS depressants has been associated with significant respiratory depression and death. Suboxone® and Subutex® have potential for abuse and produces dependence of the opioid type with a milder withdrawal syndrome than full agonists. Cytolytic hepatitis and hepatitis with jaundice have been observed in the addicted population receiving buprenorphine. There are no adequate and well-controlled studies of Suboxone or Subutex (a pregnancy category C medication) in pregnancy. Due caution should be exercised when driving cars or operating machinery. The most commonly reported adverse events with Suboxone have included headache (36%, placebo 22%), withdrawal syndrome (25%, placebo 37%), pain (22%, placebo 19%), nausea (15%, placebo 11%), insomnia (14%, placebo 16%), sweating (14%, placebo 10%). See full prescribing information for complete information.

Suboxone and Subutex are registered trademarks of Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Media Contact: Kelly Smith

617-577-8110

Kelly.Smith@fkhealth.com

This is truly scary, both the epidemic of addiction to prescription drugs...and the treatment. Sounds to me like the government intends to get the entire population hooked on something illegal - and then milk them for everything they've got.

[Midnight toker]

From 1992 to 2003, abuse of controlled prescription drugs grew twice as fast as marijuana abuse, five times faster than cocaine abuse, and 60 times faster than heroin abuse, the CASA report stated.

ASU campus a hot spot for prescription drug abuse
Addiction to prescription

by Natalie Hayes
published on Monday, June 19, 2006
The Arizona State Web Devil



<table class=posttable align=right width=230><tr><td class=postcell><img class=postimg src=bin/adderal_1.jpg></td></tr><tr><td class=postcap>There are several different ways in which to take Adderal, many crush the pill and sniff, some take it orally.</td></tr></table>While some students at ASU have no problem cracking down on the books without caffeine or other stimulants to help them focus, many students have discovered a tiny orange pill that users say can work wonders for their grades.

Adderall is the hottest prescription drug sweeping across college campuses nationwide, and ASU is no exception.

Adderall is prescribed to treat attention deficit disorder, but anyone who wants it can usually find it without searching too hard, especially on college campuses.

Also used to treat narcolepsy, Adderall is a stimulant form of amphetamine, said Gary Septon, Health Director at ASU.

"Students often take it as a study aid so they can cram for exams," Septon said.

Adderall users often report euphoric feelings, loss of appetite, weight loss, over stimulation, nervousness, dry mouth, and irritability, he said.

The ASU Health and Wellness Center has only written 44 new prescriptions for Adderall this year, but the number of students who take it without a prescription is much higher, Septon said.

Jodi, who asked to withhold her last name for privacy, a journalism junior, doesn't have a prescription for Adderall, but her roommate does.

"I can get it whenever I want," Jodi said. "When I have to crack down on the books, I take as many as I need to get focused.

"Red Bull and Starbucks just isn't enough," she added. "Adderall is the only option if I have to study."

Veronica, a history and business junior who also asked to withhold her last name for privacy, said people take Adderall because it helps them focus.

"Popping pills is the easiest solution," Veronica said.

Jodi and Veronica aren't the only young adults who take prescription medications without a doctor's approval.

Between 1992 and 2003 the number of adults over age 18 who abused prescription drugs rose 81 percent, according to a report released by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University in July 2005.

"Our nation is in the throes of an epidemic of controlled prescription drug abuse and addiction," said Joseph Califano, president of CASA, in a press release.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Adderall as a treatment for ADD in 1996. Despite it being a relatively new drug, it gained fast popularity, especially among college students.

Adderall attracts busy, stressed-out students because it helps them focus and get their homework done fast, said Trenton Horne, who took Adderall for three years.

"I could get a week's work done in one night when I took it," he said.

Septon said Adderall use at ASU is higher than at other campuses.

"Ten to 15 percent of ASU students have tried ADD drugs without a prescription," Septon said. "At other campuses between 3 to 10 percent of students have taken them."

ASU may have more students taking medications without prescriptions than the national average because it has more than 61,000 students, making it the campus with the largest student enrollment in the United States, according to statistics provided by the ASU Web site.

"When you have more students, you'll see a higher number of people who have taken these drugs," Septon said.

Although the drug continues to remain highly popular, the ASU health center and most other medical establishments will not hand out Adderall prescriptions to students who simply think it could be beneficial to them.

At ASU's health center, patients go through comprehensive testing for ADD before they can get a prescription.

"They must take tests that are interpreted by a psychologist," Septon said. "We have a lot of students coming in saying they think they have ADD, but very few actually have it."


<span class=postbold>'I didn't feel normal without it'</span>

<table class=posttable align=right width=230><tr><td class=postcell><img class=postimg src=bin/adderal_2.jpg></td></tr><tr><td class=postcap>The prescription drug Adderal is considered a growing risk and danger at college campuses around the country.</td></tr></table>When people who don't have ADD take Adderall, they experience different effects than people who have the disorder.

Septon said Adderall can be very beneficial and non-habit forming for people who have ADD, but can be very addictive for those who don't.

Adderall is a controlled substance, and it can lead to habituated use and taking it in higher doses, Septon said.

Today more people are abusing prescription controlled substances than illegal street drugs.

From 1992 to 2003, abuse of controlled prescription drugs grew twice as fast as marijuana abuse, five times faster than cocaine abuse, and 60 times faster than heroin abuse, the CASA report stated.

Controlled substances are classified through their potential for addiction. There are five categories that are ranked in order of addictiveness.

The most addictive category is C-1, including heroin and other illegal drugs, said Dave Adler, a licensed pharmacist in Chandler. C-2 drugs, including the strong painkiller OxyContin, have the second highest potential for addiction, Adler said.

"Adderall and painkillers such as Vicodin are C-3 drugs, which means they have the third highest potential for addiction."

Horne, a journalism sophomore at ASU, knows first-hand how addictive Adderall can be.

When Horne was a high school senior, his doctor diagnosed him as having ADD and wrote him a prescription for Adderall.

Horne said that once he started taking the medication he immediately became addicted.

"I was moody and depressed when I wasn't taking it," Horne said. "I didn't feel normal without it."

After taking Adderall for six months, Horne said he became tolerant to his prescribed dose and began doubling up on his medication to feel its effect.

"I started to lose a lot of weight because Adderall made me lose my appetite, and my prescription would run out before I could get a refill," Horne said.

His parents became concerned when his prescription ran out in two weeks, and it was supposed to last him a month. They took him off the medication.

Horne said he supported his parents' decision, and said he didn't miss Adderall until his freshman year at ASU.

"I missed Adderall because I knew it would help me get better grades," he said.

Then during his freshman year, Horne began dating a new girlfriend who had a prescription for Adderall.

"She gave me the whole bottle because she said she didn't like how it made her feel," Horne said.

Back on Adderall again, Horne said he quickly became confident about getting his schoolwork finished. He began taking it everyday to keep up with the freshman workload.

However, this time he experienced unfamiliar side effects when he took it.

Horne said he began having urges to do random activities like clean his dorm room obsessively.

"When I was on Adderall I would clean the woodwork and dust my kitchen appliances, which I wouldn't normally do," Horne said. "I just couldn't stop cleaning."

One night, Horne took 90 milligrams of the medication, which is twice as much as the highest prescribed daily dose, in order to get a school project done.

"I stayed up for two days and nights just working," Horne said. "I wore the same clothes to school both days, and when I looked in the mirror, I looked like I was on crack."

Horne hasn't taken Adderall since his girlfriend's prescription ran out, but says he misses it a lot, especially during stressful times.

"If I was offered a pill, I would take it," Horne said. "But I would be smarter about it and only take small doses."


<span class=postbold>Word of mouth</span>

<table class=posttable align=right width=230><tr><td class=postcell><img class=postimg src=bin/adderal_3.jpg></td></tr><tr><td class=postcap>ASU pharmacist Karl Labbe examines a bottle of Adderall at the ASU Student Health Center.</td></tr></table>If he really wanted to get it, Horne wouldn't have a problem finding Adderall on ASU's campus.

Veronica agreed.

"It's easily accessible on campus," she said. "I think people hear about it through word of mouth."

Alex, a business real estate junior who asked to withhold her last name for privacy, said she could find Adderall just by making a few phone calls.

"I have a few guy friends that have ADD and don't like taking Adderall," Alex said. "They usually don't mind getting rid of it."

One male ASU student, who asked to withhold his name to avoid getting into trouble, said he sells his Adderall prescription to students. He gets 90 pills with each refill and said they usually sell out within a week.

If he was caught selling his prescription, he would be arrested.

ASU's Department of Public Safety arrests anyone caught selling drugs, including prescriptions, said Leah Hardesty, an ASU spokeswoman. It's also illegal to buy them, Hardesty added.

"It's not like I walk around campus asking kids if they want to buy some Adderall," he said. "My friends usually ask me for it first, and people I don't know who've heard I have it usually buy the rest."

He said he charges $4 per pill, which would total up to $360 each month, but he usually gives a lot away to his friends, so he makes less.

"On average, I usually end up getting somewhere between $200 and $250 for each prescription," he said.

He said he doesn't worry about the effect Adderall might have on people who don't have ADD.

"It's their decision to take it, but they should know how to be responsible about it," he said.

ASU DPS has had no reports of anyone overdosing on Adderall, Hardesty said.

But that doesn't mean students never take too much of the drug.

"It's hard to keep track of students who overdose because the only way DPS would know is if someone needed medical attention," Hardesty said.

Septon said ASU's health center has not treated any students for an Adderall overdose.


<span class=postbold>Monitoring the market</span>

<table class=posttable align=right width=230><tr><td class=postcell><img class=postimg src=bin/adderal_4.jpg></td></tr><tr><td class=postcap>The prescription drug Adderal is considered a growing risk and danger at college campuses around the country.</td></tr></table>Recent headlines have raised concerns about the drug.

Adderall made the news when Canada decided to ban it in February 2005.

It was taken off the market in Canada because there were several unexplained sudden deaths in pediatric patients, Septon said.

The FDA did not follow in Canada's footsteps because they said they do not feel that Adderall poses any immediate health risks, according to an FDA statement on Adderall.

However, the FDA is closely monitoring the effects of the drug, Septon said.

Like any drug, Adderall has a different effect on every individual.

Adderall speeds up the heart rate, so people with high blood pressure or other heart problems should be careful about taking it, said Robert Milam, a family medical practitioner in Tempe.

Horne has high blood pressure and a history of heart murmurs in his family. He said he was often nervous about the effect Adderall was having on his heart.

When Horne took too much of the medication, he said he sometimes experienced heart palpitations.

"It was too intense," he said. "I continued to use it despite my [heart] condition, but the possibility for heart problems was always at the back of my mind."

Another downfall of the drug is feelings of depression and isolation that patients sometimes report after prolonged use, Septon said.

"Depression often occurs after they become dependent [on Adderall]," he said.

Ryan Sweeney, a political science junior at ASU, said he's been using Adderall on a prescription basis for the past three years.

Sweeney said that although the drug doesn't make him feel like it did when he first started taking it, he still feels like he needs it to feel normal.

"I had a friend who said that while on Adderall, he could do all of the things that superman could do - leap tall buildings in a single bound, fly faster than a speeding bullet," Sweeney said. "This was only three weeks after he was prescribed Adderall."

Sweeney said that after taking the drug for several years, it doesn't give him that confident feeling anymore.

"When I take it I don't feel much, but if I don't take it I don't feel right, as if something's missing," Sweeney said.

He blames his dependence on the medical industry.

"They prey on young people by making them dependent on something they don't need in the first place," Sweeney said.

Sweeney said he plans to stop taking Adderall after college.

"I'm going to go off it for good because I don't want to be paying a $20 co-pay for the rest of my life," Sweeney said.


<span class=postbold>Abuse awareness</span>

Most people who take Adderall are aware of its side effects and potential negative consequences, yet it continues to remain popular, especially on college campuses.

The drug has become more popular than ever, and health practitioners are aware of its potential for abuse, especially on college campuses.

Recent findings reveal that controlled drug abuse is on the rise.

Between 1992 and 2002, prescriptions written for controlled substances increased more than 150 percent, according to CASA's report.

Abuse of ADD drugs can be lowered if medical providers begin requiring patients to be diagnosed by a psychologist before they prescribe controlled substances, Septon said.

"There are doctors who will give out any prescription," Septon said.

"We have to be aware that there is abuse going on with students," Septon said.


Reach the reporter at Natalie.i.hayes@asu.edu.

<span class=postbold>See Also</span>: West Virginia sees flood of prescription junkies

<span class=postbold>See Also</span>: Opiate-Related Deaths Soar

<span class=postbold>See Also</span>: Alert escalates on drug mix: 'Too many dying'

<span class=postbold>See Also</span>: Las Vegas Prescription Drug Abuse Growing Problem

<span class=postbold>See Also</span>: Cannabis as a Substitute for Alcohol: A Harm-Reduction Approach - Tod H. Mikuriya

[palmspringsbum]

Prescription drugs addictive

By STEPHEN J. PASIERB
First published: Sunday, August 27, 2006
The Times-Union

A recent survey by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University found that increasing numbers of young people were prone to abuse alcohol along with several kinds of drugs, including prescription drugs, at parties and other social gatherings. Worse yet, the study found that most parents had no clue about such activities, even those at home during many of these parties.

As parents open their eyes to this reality, they must also know that the intentional abuse of prescription and over-the-counter drugs to get high has quickly established itself as a serious new tier of teen substance abuse, one that deserves great attention and their immediate action.

Amazingly, most kids know these drugs are easy to get, whether swiped from the home or a friend's medicine cabinet or bought via the Internet. Few parents suspect that medications in their own home can be pilfered by young, curious, risk-taking teens.

This was certainly true for Linda Surks, who lost her son Jason to prescription drug abuse in 2003. As a substance abuse prevention professional, Linda knew the warning signs to look for when it came to illicit drugs but not those associated with medicine abuse. Jason, a pre-pharmacy college student, not only knew how to access information on prescription drugs online, he was able to purchase them with ease over the Internet. Jason's death revealed a whole new world of danger that Linda, and hundreds of parents like her, never knew existed.

The 2005 Partnership Attitude Tracking Study found that an alarming number of teens had a false sense of security about intentionally abusing prescription drugs. In fact, nearly one in 5 U.S. teens reported non-medical use of prescription drugs, including pain relievers, stimulants and tranquilizers to get high. About 6 million teens mistakenly believe that pain medications are not addictive. Nearly one-third of teens believe there is nothing wrong with the occasional abuse of such medications to get high and almost 40 percent think prescription drugs are safer than illegal substances such as marijuana, crack and heroin.

Parents should start by educating themselves about medications that have potential for abuse, especially the ones in their own medicine cabinet. Discuss with your kids that abusing medicine can be just as dangerous, addictive and even deadly as using "street drugs." Safeguard these medications by taking a regular inventory and keeping tabs on exact quantities and dispose ones that are no longer needed.

Communication between parents and their kids is an effective tool when it comes to preventing your kids from abusing prescription drugs. Our research shows that young people who learn about the danger of substance abuse at home are up to 50 percent less likely to experiment.

Stephen J. Pasierb is president and CEO of the Partnership for a Drug-Free America. Its Web site is http://www.drugfree.org.

[budman]

National Commentary — Opening our eyes to prescription drug abuse

By Stephen J. Pasierb
The Stamford Times
August 30, 2006

A recent survey by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University found that increasing numbers of young people were prone to abuse alcohol along with several kinds of drugs, including prescription drugs, at parties and other social gatherings. Worse yet, the study found that most parents had no clue about such activities, even those who were at home during many of these parties.

As parents open their eyes to this reality, they must also know that the intentional abuse of prescription and over-the-counter drugs to get high has quickly established itself as a serious new tier of teen substance abuse, one that deserves great attention and their immediate action.

Amazingly, most kids know these drugs are easy to get, whether swiped from the home or a friend's medicine cabinet or bought via the Internet. Few parents suspect that medications in their own home can be pilfered by young, curious, risk-taking teens.

This was certainly true for Linda Surks, who lost her son Jason to prescription drug abuse in 2003. As a substance abuse prevention professional, Linda knew the warning signs to look for when it came to illicit drugs but not those associated with medicine abuse. Jason, a pre-pharmacy college student, not only knew how to access information on prescription drugs online, he was able to purchase them with ease over the Internet.

Jason's death revealed a whole new world of danger that Linda, and hundreds of parents like her, never knew existed.

The 2005 Partnership Attitude Tracking Study found that an alarming number of teens had a false sense of security about intentionally abusing prescription drugs. In fact, nearly one in five teens across the United States reported non-medical use of prescription drugs, including pain relievers, stimulants and tranquilizers to get high. About 6 million teens mistakenly believe that pain medications are not addictive.

Nearly one-third of teens believe there is nothing wrong with the occasional abuse of such medications to get high and almost 40 percent think prescription drugs are safer than illegal substances such as marijuana, crack and heroin.

Today, when Linda speaks to parents throughout the country, her message is loud and clear: parents might be naive to the dangers of prescription drug abuse, but they are not powerless to prevent this incredibly damaging behavior with otherwise good medicine.

Communication between parents and their kids is the most effective tool when it comes to preventing your kids from abusing prescription drugs. Our research shows that young people who learn about the danger of substance abuse at home are up to 50 percent less likely to experiment.

Sadly, fewer than one-third of teens say they get this message from their parents. Having frank discussions about drug and alcohol use is often awkward and uncomfortable, but in the end, may ultimately save your child's life.


Stephen J. Pasierb is president and CEO of Partnership for a Drug-Free America.

[budman]

Press Release Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration


Available Medical Treatments Could Counter Growing Prescription Painkiller Abuse Among Young Adults, Teens

Tuesday September 19, 7:30 am ET

<blockquote>
<i>- More treatment in private doctors' offices with FDA-approved medication could curb rising painkiller abuse, as reported in newest National Survey on Drug Use and Health - </i>
</blockquote>

RICHMOND, Va., Sept. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- The most recent National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2006), published this month by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), paints a mixed picture. Although overall illicit drug and alcohol use among youth ages 12-17 is on the decline, prescription painkillers are being misused at an increased rate among young adults ages 18-25, and are attracting the most new users of any drug among those 12 and older. Prescription painkiller misuse being on the rise is particularly alarming because increased numbers of teens and young adults are being exposed to the dangers of opioid addiction -- the same type of dependence which occurs with heroin.

"SAMHSA's recent survey results show that efforts to discourage teen drinking and drug abuse have been very successful. This is good news, but on the flip side, teens and young adults are reaching more and more for what's inside the medicine cabinet," said Edwin A. Salsitz, MD, Beth Israel Medical Center, New York City. "As more people who experiment with prescription painkillers become physically dependent and perhaps addicted, it will be critical for doctors and the general public to understand that private office-based medical treatment for opioid addiction is available with an FDA-approved medication called buprenorphine."

Among young adults, according to the most recent SAMHSA survey, nonmedical use of prescription drugs increased from 5.4 percent in 2002 to 6.3 percent in 2005. In addition, in terms of new users, in 2005 more people 12 years and older -- 2.2 million -- misused opioid painkillers for the first time than any other drug, including marijuana and cocaine. The increase among teens and young adults reflects a national public health crisis -- a total of 4.7 million people currently misuse prescription pain relievers, second only to marijuana use.(1)

Many people do not fully understand the danger of misusing opioid painkillers. A recent national survey on the public's perceptions of opioid addiction, Prescription Painkiller/Heroin Addiction and Treatment, revealed that nearly half of the US public does not know that misusing prescription opioid painkillers is as harmful to the body, and fully as addictive, as heroin abuse.(2)

"Opioid addiction is a chronic disease, like diabetes or high blood pressure, that can afflict anyone," said Dr. Salsitz. "The good news is that this disease can now be treated in a doctor's office, just as other serious medical conditions are treated. Given the rising prevalence of opioid painkiller misuse that SAMHSA's data show, I would urge every doctor to screen his or her patients for this disease, and to become certified to treat it."

Private Office-Based Treatment with Buprenorphine

Buprenorphine is an FDA-approved medicine used to treat opioid dependence that can be prescribed by doctors in their offices and with take-home prescriptions. Many patients prefer the privacy and convenience that office-based treatment offers.

Any doctor may take the training to become certified to treat opioid dependence with buprenorphine in his or her private office. According to Dr. Salsitz, greater patient access to doctors who can prescribe buprenorphine is critical to reducing the growing levels of opioid dependence reported by SAMHSA. Information on the training offered by the medical societies for certification to treat with buprenorphine can be found at docoptin.com. Additionally, information on online and CD-ROM training options are available by calling 877-782-6966.

Resources for Opioid Dependence and Its Treatment

Addiction to opioids is defined as a long-term brain disease by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). It is a treatable medical condition that is caused by changes in the chemistry of the brain. This dependence can start with use of medicine that a doctor prescribes for serious pain but that a person continues to use after the medical need for pain relief has passed. Or it may begin as recreational drug use that spins out of control.

Individuals who need more information about opioid dependence and its treatment, either for themselves or for someone they are concerned about, have several options. Free educational materials on opioid dependence are available to answer questions about this often-misunderstood disease and the treatments that are available for it. To receive a free educational Resource Kit on these topics, visit turntohelp.com or call 1-866-455-TURN, both provided by Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals.

Additionally, the non-profit patient advocacy group NAABT -- National Alliance of Advocates for Buprenorphine Treatment -- is dedicated to helping educate the public on opioid dependence and treatment in a private doctor's office. NAABT now offers a nationwide confidential matching service to pair individuals seeking buprenorphine treatment with available doctors. "Increasingly more people are contacting NAABT for information on opioid dependence and treatment and for help finding doctors who can prescribe buprenorphine," said Timothy Lepak, president of NAABT. "This is a disease that does not discriminate. It affects people from all walks of life and all socioeconomic and demographic levels."

For more information on physicians who can prescribe medicine to treat opioid dependence in a private medical office, visit naabt.org. SAMHSA's Web site also provides a physician locator and other valuable information at buprenorphine.samhsa.gov.

In the United States, buprenorphine is marketed as Suboxone® (buprenorphine HCl/naloxone HCl dihydrate) C-III Sublingual Tablets and Subutex® (buprenorphine HCl) C-III Sublingual Tablets, the only controlled medications under the Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 approved by the FDA for treatment of opioid dependence in a doctor's office. Suboxone and Subutex are manufactured by Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals.

About Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals Inc. is a specialty pharmaceutical company that manufactures and markets Suboxone® (buprenorphine HCl/naloxone HCl dihydrate [2 mg/0.5 mg and 8 mg/2 mg]) C-III Sublingual Tablets and Subutex® (buprenorphine HCl [2 mg and 8 mg]) C-III Sublingual Tablets, formulations of buprenorphine used to treat opioid dependence. Suboxone and Subutex are the only controlled medications under the Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 approved by the FDA for office-based treatment of opioid dependence. Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals Inc. is committed to expanding access to medical therapies for patients suffering from the chronic, relapsing brain disease of opioid dependence. For more information, visit suboxone.com or opioiddependence.com. Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Reckitt Benckiser PLC, a publicly traded UK firm.

Important Safety Information

Intravenous use of buprenorphine, usually in combination with benzodiazepines or other CNS depressants has been associated with significant respiratory depression and death. Suboxone® and Subutex® have potential for abuse and produces dependence of the opioid type with a milder withdrawal syndrome than full agonists. Cytolytic hepatitis and hepatitis with jaundice have been observed in the addicted population receiving buprenorphine. There are no adequate and well-controlled studies of Suboxone or Subutex (a pregnancy category C medication) in pregnancy. Due caution should be exercised when driving cars or operating machinery. The most commonly reported adverse events with Suboxone have included headache (36%, placebo 22%), withdrawal syndrome (25%, placebo 37%), pain (22%, placebo 19%), nausea (15%, placebo 11%), insomnia (14%, placebo 16%), sweating (14%, placebo 10%). See full prescribing information for complete information.

Suboxone and Subutex are registered trademarks of Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals Inc.


1 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA),
National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2006). Available at
http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/nsduh/2k5nsduh/2k5results.pdf
2 Schulman, Ronca, & Bucuvalas, Inc., Prescription Painkiller/Heroin
Addiction and Treatment, 2006. Available to download from
http://www.srbi.com/national_survey_on_painkillers.html.

Media Contact:
Cory Tromblee
617-761-6715
Cory.Tromblee@fkhealth.com

[palmspringsbum]

Prescription drugs pass marijuana in first time use by teenagers

Grayson County News Gazette
October 19, 2006

More young people tried prescription drugs for the first time last year than marijuana

This time of year there is more attention put on alcohol and drug abuse issues than any other. We just wrapped up National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month in September, and the Federal Government released the latest drug use statistics from around the country.

One of the categories the National Survey on Drug Use and Health tracks is substance use initiation, meaning the first time someone uses a drug. Knowing when first-time use occurs for each drug helps policymakers, researchers and addiction professionals by letting them know what areas to focus on in their drug prevention efforts.

In 2005, an estimated 2.9 million persons aged 12 or older used an illicit drug for the first time within the past 12 months; this averages to nearly 8,000 initiates per day. More than half first-time users were younger than age 18, and the majority of new users (56.2 percent) were female.

According to the survey, the specific drug categories with the largest number of recent initiates among persons aged 12 or older were non-medical use of pain relievers (2.2 million) and marijuana use (2.1 million), followed by non-medical use of tranquilizers (1.3 million), then by use of inhalants (0.9 million) and cocaine (0.9 million).

This means that prescription drugs have surpassed marijuana in the "drug of choice" category for young people to try first. This information is also an indicator of the continued boom in prescription drug addiction among adults as well.

"Drug education and prevention is important for adults as well as kids," says JT Daily, Director of Drug Education for Narconon Arrowhead "We must get the truth out to all people that all drugs can be potentially harmful, and these statistics prove that."

Narconon Arrowhead is one of the largest and most successful drug rehabilitation and education facilities in the country. Its effectiveness is attributed to the application of American author and humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard's research and developments for helping people understand and overcome addiction.

© 2006 Narconon of Oklahoma, Inc. All rights reserved. NARCONON and the Narconon logo are trademarks and service marks owned by Association for Better Living and Education International and are used with its permission.

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From Buddy T,

Prescription Drug Abuse Continues to Grow

About - News &amp; Issues
November 1, 2006

Non-medical use of prescription drugs is now second only to marijuana as the most prevalent drug problem in the United States and the problem is growing, with more people reporting first-time misuse of prescription drugs than those who reported first-time use of marijuana between 2002 and 2004.

But it's not Internet sales of prescription drugs that is driving the increase. A new report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration shows that most young people get the prescription drugs they abuse from friends of family members -- many times the family medicine cabinet.

The report, Misuse of Prescription Drugs: Data from the 2002, 2003 and 2004 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health, indicated that it was the 18 to 25 age group that reported the highest rate of prescription drug misuse, followed by the 12 to 17 age group.

"While marijuana continues to be the most commonly used illicit drug, the misuse of prescription drugs is clearly a growing national concern that requires action from multiple segments of our society," said Eric Broderick, SAMHSA Acting Deputy Administrator in a news release. "We know that 70 to 80 percent of those 12 years or older said they got their drugs from a friend or relative and, very likely, those came from the family medicine cabinet."

<span class=postbigbold>Dispose of Unused Drugs</span>

"Only 4.3 percent got the pain relievers from a drug dealer or other stranger and only 0.8 percent reported buying the drug on the Internet. Parents and other caregivers should store their prescription drugs carefully and dispose of any unused drugs before they can fall into the wrong hands," said Broderick.

Among persons aged 12 or older, non-medical use of pain relievers in the hydrocodone category increased from 5.9 percent in 2002 to 7.4 percent in 2004. Use of medications in the oxycodone category increased from 4.3 percent to 5.0 percent.

For misuse of pain relievers, stimulants and methamphetamine, males overall had a higher rate of usage in all age groups, but in the 12 to 17 age group females had higher rates of abuse for prescription psychotherapeutic drugs.

<span class=postbigbold>Teen Girls Abusing Drugs</span>

According to the report concerning the use of these drugs:<ul><li>Psychotherapeutic drugs - 9.9 percent females, 8.2 percent males</li>

<li>Pain relievers - 8.1 percent females, 7.0 percent males</li>

<li>Tranquilizers - 2.6 percent females, 1.9 percent males</li>

<li>Stimulants - 2.6 percent females, 1.9 percent males</li></ul>A complete copy of the report is available online in PDF format.

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Drug use needs more research

By Editorial Board
Publication Date: 11/10/06
The Exponent

A recent study shows that 7 percent of college students nationwide have used prescription drugs as stimulants for non-medical purposes in their lifetimes and 4 percent have done so in the past year. Across 119 four-year universities across the country, the amount of students who had used the drugs for non-medical purposes ranged from 0 to 25 percent.

The study, done at the University of Michigan, also shows that students who use prescription drugs for non-medical reasons, such as using ADD medicine like Adderall to study, are more likely to abuse other drugs like alcohol, marijuana, ecstasy and cocaine. In fact, students who use prescription drugs for non-medical purposes were five times more likely to report heavy drinking in the last year and 20 times more likely to report cocaine use.

The students who were more common to abuse prescription drugs were white fraternity members. Males were almost twice as likely to abuse the drugs than women; if women did abuse them, however, it was most likely to be among sorority members.

Grades also contributed to who was most likely to abuse the drugs, according to the study. Students who had a grade point average of a B or lower were twice as likely to use the stimulants non-medically.

One of the reasons this seems like a new trend is because people are overlooking prescription drugs and focusing on illicit ones when studying drug use among college students, according to the study. It may seem OK to borrow a stimulant from a friend or roommate to study for a test; the lack of studies and education on prescription drugs has led to the belief that it is healthier than other drugs.

More research and education is needed on the use of prescription drugs by college students. Without educating students on the dangers of abusing prescription drugs, there will be no decrease in the activity.

[palmspringsbum]

NIDA-Sponsored Survey Shows Decrease in Illicit Drug Use Among Nation's Teens But Prescription Drug Abuse Remains High

December 21, 2006 - 6:29 AM
By DrugNewswire

<span class=postbold><b>ADVANCE FOR 10 A.M. EST THURSDAY, DEC. 21/ </b>

Study Shows 23.2 Percent Decline in Illicit Drug Use Over Five-Year Period, Led by Decrease in Marijuana Use </span>

/ADVANCE/ BETHESDA, Md., Dec. 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The 2006 Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey of eighth, 10th and 12th graders indicates that their past-month use of illicit drugs has dropped 23.2 percent since 2001 (from 19.4 percent in 2001 to 14.9 percent in 2006). By contrast, abuse of prescription opioids remains at unacceptably high levels. The study is funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The survey showed that past-month marijuana use for all three grades combined declined significantly from 2005 to 2006. Further, since 2001, past- month use of marijuana for all three grades combined decreased by almost 25 percent (from 16.6 percent in 2001 to 12.5 percent in 2006). There was also good news about teen smoking as well as alcohol consumption. Cigarette smoking is at an all-time low for all three grades, and past-month alcohol use continued to trend downward.

However, of significant concern is the finding that past-year use of Vicodin remained high among all three grades, with nearly one in ten high school seniors using it in the past year. Despite a drop from 2005 to 2006 in past-year abuse of OxyContin among 12th graders (from 5.5 percent to 4.3 percent), there has been no such decline among the eighth and 10th grade students, and the rate of use among the youngest students has increased significantly since it was included in the survey in 2002. There is also concern about non-medical use of over-the-counter drugs. In the first national survey on non-medical use of cold or cough medicine, the data show that 4.2 percent of eighth graders, 5.3 percent of 10th graders, and 6.9 percent of 12th graders reported taking cold or cough medicines with dextromethorphan (DXM) during the past year to get high. Dextromethorphan is a cough suppressant found in many over-the-counter cough and cold remedies, and is generally safe when taken in recommended doses but in large amounts can cause dangerous side effects.

"We should all take pride in seeing a drop in the percentage of teenagers who abuse drugs, a key goal in the President's National Drug Control Strategy," said HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt. "But we must not ease up, as there is more to be done. We must seize the opportunity to build on this success by renewing our commitment to help young people avoid drug use, or to stop using drugs if they have started."

"The survey results indicate that the messages we are sending to students about addiction and drug abuse are having an overall positive effect," said NIH Director Dr. Elias A. Zerhouni. "But the rise in prescription drug abuse among the younger grades and the intentional abuse of over-the-counter medications are very disturbing. These findings point to the continuing need to educate our young people about the potential for harm when drugs are taken without a physician's supervision."

"Past-year use of marijuana has fallen by 36 percent among eighth graders, 28 percent among 10th graders, and 18 percent among 12th graders since the peak abuse years in the 1990s," says NIDA Director Dr. Nora D. Volkow. "This is great news. However, past-year use of OxyContin has almost doubled among eighth graders since 2002, and Vicodin abuse remains stubbornly high among 12th graders. We know that the job is not yet done."

Other findings from the survey show that between 2005 and 2006:
<ul class=postlist>
<li> Past-year and past-month methamphetamine use decreased among 10th graders, with past-year falling from 2.9 percent to 1.8 percent, and past-month decreasing from 1.1 percent to 0.7 percent; </li>

<li> There was an increase in perceived harmfulness among 12th graders of heroin, ice, sedatives/barbiturates, and steroids; </li>

<li> There was a decrease in perceived harmfulness and disapproval of MDMA (or ecstasy) among eighth graders; and </li>

<li> Use of inhalants leveled off in 2006. </li>
</ul>
"There has been a substance abuse sea change among American teens," said John P. Walters, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy. "They are getting the message that dangerous drugs damage their lives and limit their futures. We know that if people don't start using drugs during their teen years, they are very unlikely to go on to develop drug problems later in life. That's why this sharp decline in teen drug use is such important news: It means that there will be less addiction, less suffering, less crime, lower health costs, and higher achievement for this upcoming generation of Americans."

Since 1975, the MTF survey has measured drug, alcohol, and cigarette use and related attitudes among adolescent students nationwide. Survey participants report their drug use behaviors across three time periods: lifetime, past-year, and past-month. Overall, 48,460 students from 410 public and private schools in the eighth, 10th, and 12th grades participated in this year's survey. The survey has been conducted since its inception by investigators at the University of Michigan.

MTF is one of three major HHS-sponsored surveys that provide data on substance use among youth. Its Web site is http://monitoringthefuture.org/. More information on MTF can be found at http://www.hhs.gov/news; or http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/. Additional details are also available at http://www.drugabuse.gov/DrugPages/MTF.html.

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), sponsored by HHS' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, is the primary source of statistical information on illicit drug use in the U.S. population 12 years of age and older. Formerly known as the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, the survey collects data in household interviews, currently using computer-assisted self-administration for drug-related items. More information is available at http://www.drugabusestatistics.samhsa.gov/.

The Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), part of HHS' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, is a school- based survey that collects data from students in grades 9-12. The survey includes questions on a wide variety of health-related risk behaviors, not simply drug abuse. More information is available at http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dash/yrbs/index.htm.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse is a component of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIDA supports most of the world's research on the health aspects of drug abuse and addiction. The Institute carries out a large variety of programs to ensure the rapid dissemination of research information and its implementation in policy and practice. Fact sheets on the health effects of drugs of abuse and information on NIDA research and other activities can be found on the NIDA home page at http://www.drugabuse.gov/.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) -- The Nation's Medical Research Agency -- includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary Federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov/.

Source: National Institute on Drug Abuse

CONTACT: Dorie Hightower or Sara Rosario Wilson of NIDA,
+1-301-443-6245, media@nida.nih.gov, or Contacto en Espanol: +1-301-594-6145


Web site: http://www.nih.gov/
http://monitoringthefuture.org/
http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/
http://www.hhs.gov/news
http://www.drugabuse.gov/
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dash/yrbs/index.htm

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Survey reports on teens' drugs of choice

United Press International
December 21, 2006

BETHESDA, Md., Dec. 21 (UPI) -- Teens' use of illegal drugs dropped over the past five years, but abuse of cold and cough medicine, and prescription drugs remains high, a U.S. survey said.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse report showed that marijuana use by students in eighth, 10th and 12th grades dropped significantly from 2005 to 2006. Moreover, use of marijuana for all three grades decreased by almost 25 percent, from 16.6 percent in 2001 to 12.5 percent in 2006.

Teen cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption also dropped.

Researchers expressed concern that year-over-year misuse of the prescription drug Vicodin remained high among all three grades, as nearly one in 10 high school seniors said they used it. While a drop was seen in abuse of OxyContin among 12th graders, no decline was noted among the eighth and 10th grade students.

The survey included non-medical use of over-the-counter drugs for the first time. Data showed that 4.2 percent of eighth graders, 5.3 percent of 10th graders, and 6.9 percent of 12th graders reported taking cold or cough medicines with dextromethorphan to get high. Dextromethorphan is a cough suppressant in over-the-counter cough and cold remedies.

[palmspringsbum]

Drugs, alcohol abusers getting younger

By Judy O'Rourke, Staff Writer
LA Daily News
Article Last Updated: 12/25/2006 07:19:04 PM PST

SANTA CLARITA — Specialists who work with local kids in therapeutic programs and in the schools say drug and alcohol use among teens and adolescents is skewing younger and younger.

Statistics are hard to come by, but workers in the trenches say more 13- and 14-year-olds are paying a price for tangling with off-limits substances.

"We're getting called more and more by the middle schools to do drug tests for kids and we're coming in and doing early interventions on kids a lot," said Cary Quashen, founder of the nonprofit ACTION parent and teen support program. "We're finding pot, alcohol, and over-the-counter drugs like (cough medicine) seem to be real big with young people."

The group conducts programs in local high schools, and the for-profit Action Family Counseling program operates nine intensive outpatient programs and two residential treatment centers.

Quashen said teen girls who opt for methamphetamine to help them lose weight underestimate its pull.

"They start with diet," he said. "But the euphoria becomes emotionally addictive, and it only takes one time to be addicted by crystal meth emotionally."

The drug is easy to come by and it's cheap. In contrast to imported drugs like cocaine, meth can be formulated in a van or an apartment down the street. Quashen said some batches are tainted with battery acid, rat poison or arsenic.

Getting caught with drugs or alcohol or selling them on junior or senior high school campuses results in suspension, intra-district transfers or expulsion. The man who oversees suspensions and expulsions in the 22,000-student William S. Hart Union High School District said the number of violators has been creeping up districtwide though figures are not yet available for the current school year.

"It appears, though I can't say to what extent yet, drug and alcohol violations are higher this year," said Richard Freifeld, director of student services for the district. "It's a definite issue out there."

In 2003-04, 16 students were expelled; in 2004-05 it dropped to 12; but in 2005-06, 25 students were ejected.

All students caught with banned substances are suspended for at least five days. In 2003-04, 118 students were suspended; in 2004-05 the number climbed to 145; and in 2005-06, 200 students were suspended.

District officials take into account a student's record, whether it's a first or second offense and other extenuating circumstances before levying consequences. High schoolers are not the only ones being dismissed or lobbed outside their comfort zones to different schools.

Of the 200 drug or alcohol-related suspensions this past year, 154 students were high schoolers, but 46 attended junior highs. That is up substantially from past years: in 2003-04, 14 were junior highschoolers and in 2004-05, 19 attended junior highs.

Some of the increase may be attributed to the school district's growth in the past few years. While marijuana and alcohol are most commonly confiscated, Freifeld said, they are being joined by a growing number of other substances.

"Prescription drugs that don't belong to the students (are popular) and a number of kids are using Coricidin as an intoxicant," he said.

Freifeld said the district is attuned to solving underlying problems and students are often referred to ACTION or the Santa Clarita Valley Child and Family Center's Drug and Alcohol Prevention Education Curriculum program for help.

A former drug dealer who attended local high schools and sold drugs on the premises — and is now clean — said many of his customers were seventh and eighth graders referred by their friends or older siblings. They would rendezvous in secluded wash areas or public restrooms.

"If the older sibling is doing it it's more likely the younger one will do it too," he said. He sold pot for $15 a gram, which filled about one-forth of a sandwich bag, and a $20 bag of meth would yield eight to 10 hits.

Quashen said a recipe for problems is sometimes concocted by working families whose offspring have a lot of time on their hands and lots of disposable income. Jamie Wilder, a marriage and family therapist, said young friends with money often share drugs with friends who can't afford them.

Ari Levy, a clinical psychologist and executive program director at the Child and Family Center, said some parents may minimize the teen's drug use by labeling it experimentation.

"When you have someone who's under the age of 15, 16, who is involved with using substances, that's not experimentation," he said. "(In year's past) experimentation occurred in college, maybe late high school. When you're talking about those who are younger, that's not experimentation, that's a problem."

He said if developing youngsters use drugs it may color how they deal with their lives as adults and how they handle stress and emotions.

"When they're adults, they may lean back on the substances," he said.

On Thursday, the National Institute on Drug Abuse on released an annual survey that monitors substance use trends among eighth through twelfth graders. It showed past-month use of illegal drugs had dipped 23 percent since 2001, but misuse of presription drugs and non-medical use of over-the-counter drugs is a big concern.

In the first national survey of non-medical use of cold or cough medicine, the survey found 4.2 percent of eights graders reported using cold or cough medicines during the past year to get high, the group reported. The Monitoring the Future survey, where students self-report use, has helped the government meausre drug and alcohol use and attitudes among adolescents and teens since 1975.

Wilder said parents often don't understand the unwitting role they play in their kids under the radar use of over-the-counter drugs.

"That's what kids can get easily at home and from other kids — Coricidin, Benadryl, Vicodin," she said. "A lot of studies show parents speaking to their kids about drugs, parents monitoring their kids, these are the kids who will have less problems with substance abuse."

---
Judy O'Rourke, (661) 257-5255 judy.orourke@dailynews.com

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Article published Dec 26, 2006

<span class=postbold>OUR OPINIONS</span>

Medicine cabinet addiction

The Leaf-Chronicle
December 26, 2006

Parents must talk with their children about all kinds of drugs.

When parents are having "drug talks" with their children, they need to include legal pharmaceuticals in the warnings.

A national survey on teen use of drugs in 2006 found that while abuse of illegal drugs and alcohol is on the decline, high school and middle school misuse of prescription narcotics and over-the-counter cough and cold medicine is still going strong.

Regular marijuana use among teens has declined for the fifth year in a row, according to the annual survey conducted by the University of Michigan for the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Other drugs on a decline are methamphetamine and crack cocaine. Unfortunately, the use of LSD, inhalants, cocaine, crystal meth, heroin, narcotics other than heroin, tranquilizers and sedatives remained steady.

Where are the teens getting the prescription narcotics such as OxyContin and Vicodin? Oftentimes it's coming right from the medicine cabinets of mom and dad or other relatives.

Physicians advise people to dispose of medicine they no longer are using. Don't keep pain pills just in case you have a killer headache one day. It's not a sound medical practice, and there's no need to leave the temptation around for a teen who may decide to try the pills to see what happens.

This and other studies have shown that government policy has little effect on drug use. Involved parents, however, can make a difference.

A 14-year-old who may hear from his pals that getting high from over-the-counter cough syrup is safe needs a reality check from a parent. These drugs — as well as household inhalants — can be deadly if misused.

Kids don't always exercise the best judgment, and that's just a part of growing up. Those with parents who show they care, however, can increase the odds that their children will make it through the teen years in good heath both mentally and physically.

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Cough medicine abuse by teens on the rise

By: JENNIFER KABBANY - Staff Writer
The North County Times
December 26, 2006


TEMECULA -- On the heels of three Temecula Valley High School students being sent to the hospital after overdosing on Robitussin caplets comes a government study finding that more and more teens across the country are turning to over-the-counter cough and cold medicine to get high.

In response, Temecula officials are quick to point out that there is no proof the trend is prevalent in the city, but are beefing up efforts to educate students on the dangers of the medicines, as well as reaching out to area teens as part of the city's ongoing "youth master plan" development.

Temecula police Sgt. Jim Adams, who oversees police officers assigned to Temecula Valley Unified School District campuses, said officers this month added information to student presentations on the effects and long-term harm caused by abusing nonprescription cold medicine.


He said that while the Temecula Valley High incident is the first time officers have encountered this type of overdose on a campus, it's important students understand the damage it can cause. He said he is also asking officers to ask students whether they think their friends are abusing cold medicine.

"It may be something we are not seeing," Adams said.

On Dec. 11, three Temecula Valley High School students were sent to the hospital after they started vomiting on campus. Adams said an investigation uncovered the students, two boys and one girl, ages 17 to 18, had each taken more than 100 Robitussin caplets over the course of three days.

The students' parents picked them up from the hospital later that day, Adams said. They could face suspension from school as well as charges of being intoxicated in public, the sergeant said.

"Two of the three said they learned about it on the Internet and tried it," Adams said of the students' overdose.

Apparently they are not the only ones doing so.

A government study released last week found that while marijuana and other illicit drug use among teens is down, as many as one in every 14 high school seniors said they used cold medicine "fairly recently" to get high.

The "high" is caused by ingesting a large amount of dextromethorphan, or DXM, a common active ingredient found in many cough medications, according to The Partnership for a Drug-Free America, a nonprofit coalition of medical and educational professionals.

DXM abusers describe different "plateaus" ranging from mild distortions of color and sound to visual hallucinations, "out-of-body" sensations and loss of motor control, the partnership's Web site states.

Short-term effects of DXM abuse can include dizziness, blurred vision, abdominal pain, vomiting, rapid heartbeat and disorientation. Serious side effects can include the suppression of the central nervous system, which can cause the victim to stop breathing.

This year marks the first year the government tracked the frequency of teens who reported getting high from over-the-counter medicine for coughs and colds. There is no comparison data.

"A national snapshot with what's going on with youth drug abuse may not be applicable for one specific community," said Temecula Mayor Chuck Washington. "I am not sure that is reflective of what is going on with Temecula's youth."

Nevertheless, city and school district officials are working together to create a "youth master plan," in which Temecula leaders will take the pulse of the city's adolescents, as well as find ways to keep them active, healthy and engaged in positive lifestyle choices, Washington said.

"A kid that's downing cough syrup, I am not sure it's just because they are bored," he said. "There may be a much deeper problem. But it brings to light a good point that we would be doing a disservice to the master plan ... if we didn't recognize teens face their own unique challenges."

Therefore the process of creating the youth master plan, in which city leaders will investigate and discuss the state of the city's young adults, may be as important as the final document itself, he said.

The City Council is poised to approve a consultant to help guide the process next month, he said.

"It will build a foundation for providing resources that can help kids," the mayor said.

<small>-- The Associated Press contributed to this report. Contact staff writer Jennifer Kabbany at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2625, or jkabbany@californian.com.</small>

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Published: Friday, January 05, 2007

Editorial: Teen drug use: We’re not alone

The Daily Record

A new study shows there is lots of good news but too much bad news when it comes to drug use by teens.

The good news, illegal use of street drugs, especially marijuana, is down. The bad news, prescription drug abuse is up.

Luckily, in Delta County, we have a group dedicated to identifying this problem and dealing with it.

Late last year the local Coalition Against Prescription Drug Abuse produced a four-page section, in partnership with this newspaper and OSF St. Francis Hospital in Escanaba, detailing the local problem.

As part of this project, Delta County Prosecutor Steve Parks spent countless hours talking to various experts and others about prescription drug abuse in Delta County.

He talked to law enforcement officers, emergency workers, educators, pharmacists, doctors, people who have been harmed by prescription drug abuse and their families.

The section was intended to increase public awareness and help residents make their way through this complicated issue.

The need is real. This week in Delta County Circuit Court a woman pleaded guilty to being an habitual offender, with the latest charge directly related to prescription drug abuse.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse surveyed eighth, 10th and 12th graders. It shows their past-month use of illicit drugs has dropped 23.2 percent since 2001 (from 19.4 percent in 2001 to 14.9 percent in 2006). By contrast, abuse of prescription opioids remains at unacceptably high levels.

The survey showed that past-month marijuana use for all three grades combined declined significantly from 2005 to 2006. Further, since 2001, past-month use of marijuana for all three grades combined decreased by almost 25 percent (from 16.6 percent in 2001 to 12.5 percent in 2006). There was also good news about teen smoking as well as alcohol consumption. Cigarette smoking is at an all-time low for all three grades, and past-month alcohol use continued to trend downward.

Now the bad news. Past-year use of Vicodin remained high among all three grades, with nearly one in 10 high school seniors using it in the past year. Despite a drop from 2005 to 2006 in past-year abuse of OxyContin among 12th graders (from 5.5 percent to 4.3 percent), there has been no such decline among the eighth and 10th grade students. Also, the rate of use among the youngest students has increased significantly since it was included in the survey in 2002.

There is also concern about non-medical use of over-the-counter drugs. In the first national survey on non-medical use of cold or cough medicine, the data shows that 4.2 percent of eighth graders, 5.3 percent of 10th graders, and 6.9 percent of 12th graders reported taking cold or cough medicines with dextromethorphan (DXM) during the past year to get high. Dextromethorphan is a cough suppressant found in many over-the-counter cough and cold remedies, and is generally safe when taken in recommended doses but in large amounts can cause dangerous side effects.

Other findings from the survey show that between 2005 and 2006:
<ul class=postlist>
<li> Past-year and past-month methamphetamine use decreased among 10th graders, with past-year falling from 2.9 percent to 1.8 percent, and past-month decreasing from 1.1 percent to 0.7 percent;</li>

<li> There was an increase in perceived harmfulness among 12th graders of heroin, ice, sedatives/barbiturates, and steroids;</li>

<li> There was a decrease in perceived harmfulness and disapproval of MDMA (or ecstasy) among eighth graders, and use of inhalants leveled off in 2006.</li>
</ul>
Prescription drug abuse is a real problem, and it’s found a home in the Central Upper Peninsula. Vigilance may be the best weapon to combat it. Luckily we have a local group leading the way.

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Generation Rx: a new war against drugs

Christina Macone-Greene
Special to the Village News

Thursday, January 10th, 2008.
Issue 02, Volume 12.


National surveys administered to teens in 2007 have shown that prescription drug abuse is up, while alcohol and marijuana use is down.

The abuse of prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs is increasing at an alarming rate and based on the current trend among young people, a new term has been coined: Generation Rx.

Teens of all ages are easily getting their hands on Adderall, Valium and a host of pain medications, including Oxycotin.

“Oxycotin is very addictive and it’s widely distributed these days,” said Matthew Gissen, chairman of Keep Kids Drug Free. “I think that the abuse of prescription drugs has been an epidemic for many years.”

Statistics from Partnership for a Drug Free America reveal that one in five teens confessed to misusing prescription drugs and one in ten has abused cough medicine.

“Many of the children [take OTC and prescription drugs] for various reasons,” explained Gissen. Peer pressure, boredom and pressure to perform well are only a handful of reasons why teens take these drugs.

“Prescription drugs are readily available; all kids have to do is go into a bathroom in their home and they will find something to take,” he said. “They don’t need to go out into the street and buy it.”

Sadly, there is a perception out there among kids who think prescription drugs are not nearly as harmful as street drugs. This is viewpoint is wrong.

“A youngster’s body is not developed to take these prescription drugs; abuse of those drugs could actually deter the developmental stages of growth,” said Gissen. And at times, OTC and prescription drugs act as a stepping stone to other street drugs uses.

Historically, Gissen says, 12.5 years of age is the average beginning time of drug abuse. “It is not uncommon to see 11-year-olds taking drugs.”

If parents have prescription medications at home, Gissen recommends being aware of how much there is and not leaving them readily available. “Prescription drugs are very, very addictive.”

Sally Wolf, PhD, views Generation Rx as being the shift from treating illness to developing healthy lives with drugs. Medications are easily available to teens because the medical field is rapidly prescribing drugs.

“Drugs are a consumer product and there are drugs for everything now,” said Wolf. “Everyone is stressed and everyone is self-medicating.” Some individuals have the opinion that a pill is the cure-all for any ailment, large or small.

Because of this, it’s not uncommon for a teen to take a drug prescribed to a parent. Some teens are taking non-prescribed ADHD medication to help them focus or to gain an edge.

There doesn’t seem to be a stigma attached to prescription drugs, explained Wolf. “Generation Rx is very insidious; kids are looking to medication for a sense of wellness and not to treat an ailment.”

Communicate with your kids, encourages Wolf. Have family nights. Be in touch with your kids. “A lot of people you talk to don’t even eat together with their family.”

Being observant of your child is critical, because it gives the parent an edge in recognizing any slight personality changes, such as lack of engagement or loss of interest in activities. “Parents must have awareness of these things,” explained Wolf.

If medication must be kept in the household, Wolf recommends that it be stored where it is safe and not in a high-traffic area. And most of all, she advises communication within the family – for parents to be ‘hands on.’

“Don’t shut down the communication,” she said.

For more information on this subject and teen drug abuse, log on to www.drugfree.org, www.kkdf.com and www.notalone.org.