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06-21-2005, 05:50 AM
Generation RX: Teen Drug Abuse from the Family Medicine Cabinet
By Darla Sitton
CBN News Producer
CBN.com (CBN News) - There is an alarming new trend among American teens -- kids abusing prescription and over-the-counter drugs.
The numbers are disturbing. A new study finds that more than 4 million teens have taken prescription painkillers like Vicodin without a doctor's approval. About 2.3 million have abused Oxycontin and Ritalin. And more than 2 million teens have abused common cold medicines.
Some teens are getting high on Coricidin HBP, an over-the-counter cold medicine for people with high blood pressure.
Kids say it is easy to fool parents with drugs from the family medicine cabinet. One girl said, "It tastes like candy. And your parents won't know if you get high, 'cause your eyes won't be red."
Valentino Maroulis is a former user who is seven months into rehab now. She said, "I started using drugs because of problems at home, going out with my friends. We all got into it and got hooked on it."
Valentino is doing better, but Maureen Barrett's family was not so fortunate -- her son died after taking drugs that were not prescribed to him.
Maureen said, "You can try to control your children, you can set a good example. But ultimately, young adults are going to do what they want to do. You can't be with them 24-7."
So how can parents tell if their child is involved? Doctors from the study advise parents to pay attention to warning signs -- like excessive sleepiness, mood changes, sudden changes in school grades, or a change in friends.
Also, doctors warn parents to take stock of the drugs in the family medicine cabinet.
Michael Maves, M.D., from Partnership for a Drug-Free America, said, "Securing the medications, knowing if they've been pilfered or whether the particular number of pills in a particular bottle has been going down, are very important parts of the parental role in this."
Doctors say teens use over-the-counter drugs or prescriptions from home rather than street drugs because they think they are safer. But teens who have gotten hurt from abusing these medicines will tell you that is not true.
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/news/050425f.asp
By Darla Sitton
CBN News Producer
CBN.com (CBN News) - There is an alarming new trend among American teens -- kids abusing prescription and over-the-counter drugs.
The numbers are disturbing. A new study finds that more than 4 million teens have taken prescription painkillers like Vicodin without a doctor's approval. About 2.3 million have abused Oxycontin and Ritalin. And more than 2 million teens have abused common cold medicines.
Some teens are getting high on Coricidin HBP, an over-the-counter cold medicine for people with high blood pressure.
Kids say it is easy to fool parents with drugs from the family medicine cabinet. One girl said, "It tastes like candy. And your parents won't know if you get high, 'cause your eyes won't be red."
Valentino Maroulis is a former user who is seven months into rehab now. She said, "I started using drugs because of problems at home, going out with my friends. We all got into it and got hooked on it."
Valentino is doing better, but Maureen Barrett's family was not so fortunate -- her son died after taking drugs that were not prescribed to him.
Maureen said, "You can try to control your children, you can set a good example. But ultimately, young adults are going to do what they want to do. You can't be with them 24-7."
So how can parents tell if their child is involved? Doctors from the study advise parents to pay attention to warning signs -- like excessive sleepiness, mood changes, sudden changes in school grades, or a change in friends.
Also, doctors warn parents to take stock of the drugs in the family medicine cabinet.
Michael Maves, M.D., from Partnership for a Drug-Free America, said, "Securing the medications, knowing if they've been pilfered or whether the particular number of pills in a particular bottle has been going down, are very important parts of the parental role in this."
Doctors say teens use over-the-counter drugs or prescriptions from home rather than street drugs because they think they are safer. But teens who have gotten hurt from abusing these medicines will tell you that is not true.
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/news/050425f.asp