Pubdate: Fri, 04 Jan 2008
Source: Billings Gazette, The (MT)
Copyright: 2008 The Billings Gazette
Contact:  http://www.billingsgazette.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/515

MANY TEENS FIND DRUGS AT HOME

The year 2007 brought encouraging news on many points  of drug abuse 
prevention in Montana and across the  nation.

American teens' use of illegal drugs - including  methamphetamine, 
cocaine, marijuana and other street  drugs - declined, according to 
multiple, ongoing  research surveys. However, a report released last 
month  by the National Institute on Drug Abuse noted that  abuse of 
prescription drugs by U.S. teens remains high  with no significant decrease.

The "Monitoring the Future" survey of eighth-, 10th-  and 12th-grade 
students measures prescription drugs,  including opiates like Vicodin 
and OxyContin,  amphetamines (including Ritalin), 
sedatives/barbiturates and tranquilizers, as well 
as  over-the-counter drugs such as cough syrup.

Altogether, 15.4 percent of high school seniors  reported nonmedical 
use of at least one of these  prescription medications within the 
past year. Ten  percent of 12th-graders surveyed reported 
nonmedical  use of Vicodin in the past year.

According to various surveys, 71 percent of young  people abusing 
prescription drugs report getting them  from "medicine cabinets of 
their own home, and the  medicine cabinets of the parents of their 
friends in  their homes," John Walters, director of the White House 
office of National Drug Control Policy, said at a  December press 
conference. Walters noted that  painkillers such as Vicodin and 
Oxycontin are  particularly dangerous in combination with alcohol. 
Misuse of those medications can cause seizures, even  death.

These medications have appropriate medical uses for  people suffering 
serious pain. The risk is that  leftovers not properly disposed of or 
unmonitored  supplies can be misused by people who wrongly believe 
prescriptions are a "safe" way to get high. This is a  risk that can 
be reduced with precautions in the home  as described in the box below.

Some of the major teen behavior surveys used in Montana  and 
throughout the country don't specifically ask about  misuse of 
prescriptions drugs. Such questions should be  added this year. 
Accurate, comprehensive information is  needed to plan the most 
effective prevention strategies  to deal with the full range of substance abuse.
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart