Teens' prescription abuse up
Brittney Berget - The Daily Iowan
Issue date: 2/23/07 Section: Metro
Prescription drugs have long relieved and comforted the ill, but they can also become lethal narcotics if abused. With the introduction of online pharmacies, prescription drugs are becoming easier to obtain, and recent studies show teens are increasingly using the substances recreationally.
A recent analysis from the federal government reported that 20.1 million teens abused prescription drugs in 2005, which made it the second-most used illegal drug behind marijuana.
Jennifer de Vallance, the press secretary for the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, said teens and even parents often misperceive the dangers of prescription drugs.
"Not everyone knows these drugs are as dangerous as street drugs," she said. "Some parents and students are under the impression that prescription drugs are a safe way to get a high, and that is false."
This falsehood, and the ease of obtaining such drugs, has led to the increase in use, de Vallance said.
The study, "Teens and Prescription Drugs: An Analysis of Recent Trends on the Emerging Drug Threat," found that nearly 60 percent of teens abusing prescription drugs get pills from friends or family members for free. Also, illegal sales of medications via the Internet is rising in popularity - a problem the Food and Drug Administration discussed on Feb. 16.
The FDA warning came after a number of Americans purchased antidepressants, sleep aids, and other substances online, yet received haloperidol, a drug used in treating schizophrenia.
Users experienced breathing difficulties, muscle spasms, and muscle stiffness. The drugs were ordered through several commercial websites, but officials have not determined where the drugs - which were postmarked in Greece - originated.
Local officials agree that it is safer to get medication from pharmacists with whom patients have built a relationship.
"When drugs are purchased online, there is no one record that follows what you have taken and what you are taking," said Kate Puetz, a pharmacist and the Iowa Pharmacy Association's vice president of professional affairs. "I can't stress enough the importance of the pharmacist, physician, patient relationship, and that disappears when the Internet comes into play."
A recent analysis from the federal government reported that 20.1 million teens abused prescription drugs in 2005, which made it the second-most used illegal drug behind marijuana.
Jennifer de Vallance, the press secretary for the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, said teens and even parents often misperceive the dangers of prescription drugs.
"Not everyone knows these drugs are as dangerous as street drugs," she said. "Some parents and students are under the impression that prescription drugs are a safe way to get a high, and that is false."
This falsehood, and the ease of obtaining such drugs, has led to the increase in use, de Vallance said.
The study, "Teens and Prescription Drugs: An Analysis of Recent Trends on the Emerging Drug Threat," found that nearly 60 percent of teens abusing prescription drugs get pills from friends or family members for free. Also, illegal sales of medications via the Internet is rising in popularity - a problem the Food and Drug Administration discussed on Feb. 16.
The FDA warning came after a number of Americans purchased antidepressants, sleep aids, and other substances online, yet received haloperidol, a drug used in treating schizophrenia.
Users experienced breathing difficulties, muscle spasms, and muscle stiffness. The drugs were ordered through several commercial websites, but officials have not determined where the drugs - which were postmarked in Greece - originated.
Local officials agree that it is safer to get medication from pharmacists with whom patients have built a relationship.
"When drugs are purchased online, there is no one record that follows what you have taken and what you are taking," said Kate Puetz, a pharmacist and the Iowa Pharmacy Association's vice president of professional affairs. "I can't stress enough the importance of the pharmacist, physician, patient relationship, and that disappears when the Internet comes into play."
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