The Problem
Virtually every day throughout the United States, families are faced with the tragedy of prescription drug abuse.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), prescription medication misuse and abuse causes more accidental deaths than heroin and cocaine combined. In San Diego County, where The Safe Homes Coalition was founded, prescription drug abuse is the leading cause of unintended deaths.
Access is part of the problem. The vast majority of misused drugs – more than 70 percent – are reportedly obtained from another person’s medicine cabinet, not from a dealer on the street. It is important to know that providing medications, such as Vicodin or Oxycontin, to someone is not only potentially dangerous to their health but is also a federal crime. Doctors prescribe medicines based on a person’s specific symptoms and medical history. A medicine that works for you could be dangerous for someone else.
Commonly Abused Prescription Medicines
Opioids
Pain relievers, including hydrocodone (Vicodin), oxycodone (OxyContin, Percocet), fentanyl (Duragesic, Fentora), methadone, codeine.
Benzodiazepines
Sedatives to induce sleep, prevent seizures, relieve anxiety, including alprazolam (Xanax), diazepam (Valium), lorazepam (Ativan).
Amphetamines
Stimulants used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder including dextroamphetamine/amphetamine (Adderall, Adderall XR) and methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta).
One-third of teens
say they believe “It’s okay to use prescription drugs that were not prescribed for them to deal with an injury, illness or physical pain.”
43 percent of teens
indicate prescription drugs are easier to get than illegal drugs.
4 in 10 teens
who have misused or abused a prescription drug obtained it from their parent’s medicine cabinet.
Almost 1 in 3 kids
who report having misused or abused a prescription drug has done so before the age of 14.
Source: Partnership for Drug-Free Kids. Visit drugfree.org/MedicineAbuseProject for more details.
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