Adolescent Prescription drug abuse

The world of prescription drugs is a complex place, no where is that more true than Los Angeles. Even though studies have shown that use of drugs such as alcohol and marijuana is down in adolescents, prescription drug abuse is on the rise. Many teens can easily buy these drugs on the street, at school, or find them in the medicine cabinet at home. Typical ways to administer these drugs are: orally, or crushed up and snorted. The most common pills that are used are Valium, Xanax, Ritalin, and Oxycontin. Prescription drugs can be classified into three groups:

*Pain relievers or Narcotics
*Depressants/tranquilizers/sedative/anti-anxiety
*Stimulants(prescribed for AD(H)D/anti-fatigue

Below is a short list of common prescription drugs and some of their street or slang names. If you hear these names or see them written by your kid, you may be concerned.

Pain Relievers
-Vicodin- vikes, beans, happy pills
-Oxycontin- oxys, OCs, hillybilly heroin
-Percocet (which is made from oxycontin and acetomenaphine aka Tylenol)- perks

Depressants
-Benzodizapines- benzos, bennies
-Valium
-Xanax- bars, z-bars, totem poles, ladders
-Klonopin
-Adivan
-Even sleeping pills such as Ambien and Lunesta act like benzos when ingested

Stimulants
-Adderall
-Concerta
-Ritalin- vitamin R, kiddy cocaine
-Dexedrine

Miscellaneous
-Amphetamine or diet pills aka “cross tops”
-MDMA- beans
-Ecstasy- X
-Ketamine- vitamin K, special K
-GHB or the “Date Rape Drug”
-Coricidin ( like Robitussin)- Triple Cs, skittles

Click here to contact visions for more info on adolescent prescription drug abuse

Adolescent Prescription drug abuse

Adolescent Prescription drug abuse

There are many different ways that adolescents are using to get high these days. Marijuana and alcohol are among the most common. However, more and more adolescents are turning to prescription medication abuse. 48 million or 20% of the United States population have used prescription medications for reasons other than medical in their lifetime. Since 1995 emergency room visits resulting from prescription medication abuse have gone up 163% and so are visits to adolescent drug rehabs Prescription medications are easier to obtain now more than ever. Some teens are simply stealing their parent’s prescriptions out of the medicine cabinet. More often teens are visiting online pharmacies, where they sell very addictive medications to anyone who will pay. Teens also will trade their prescriptions at school, either for other drugs or for money. Prescription medication can be classified in one of three categories that are the most commonly abused: stimulants, opioids and central nervous system depressants.

Opioids include Morphine, Vicodin and Oxycontin, to name a few. Opioids are used to treat pain. When abused these medications can be life threatening. If opioids are mixed with any substance that depressed the central nervous system, such as alcohol, Xanax, or Valium, they can cause respiratory malfunction and death. These drugs are occasionally snorted or injected, in order to amplify the high.

Central nervous system depressants, such as Xanax or Valium, are used to treat anxiety and sleep disorders. Barbiturates are also considered central nervous system depressants. These medications work by slowing down brain activity, which when abused or used with alcohol they can slow the activity down so much that it results in heart or respiratory malfunction and death.

Stimulants speed up the body causing increased attentiveness, alertness and energy. Stimulants were primarily used to treat asthma and obesity. Currently they are used to treat Attention Deficit Disorder, Depression and narcolepsy. Abusing these medications or mixing them with decongestants may result in irregular heart activity and high body temperatures.