More Than Half of Teens Who Report Abusing Prescription Medications Get
Them from Their Own Home, a Parent, Relative or Friend
NEW YORK, June 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- A house is the one place where a family should feel safe and secure, yet it is here that teens are prone to get prescription drugs to misuse and abuse. To help prevent teen prescription drug misuse and abuse, the Partnership for a Drug-Free America(R) and Abbott today launched "Not In My House" (NotInMyHouse.com), a national education initiative that provides parents with useful information and tips to help them limit teen access to medicines.
A 2007 national survey of teens (1000, ages 13 to 18) and their parents (600) conducted by the Partnership with support from Abbott, uncovered startling information about the attitudes and behaviors that can contribute to teen prescription drug abuse:
-- More than half of teens who reported abusing prescription medications said they got the medications in their own home (15 percent) or from a parent or relative (11 percent) or friend (24 percent).
-- More than half of the teens who tried medication without a prescription believe it is safer than street drugs and there is nothing wrong with taking them once in a while.
-- Partying, experimenting and relaxing are the top three reasons teens give for trying prescription drugs that aren't theirs. Additional reasons include dealing with physical pain or anxiety, trying to stay awake and getting more school work done.
-- Top three reasons 27 percent of parents believe it is okay to give a teen a prescription drug that was not prescribed for that teen: getting hurt, bad menstrual cramps or problems sleeping.
"With one in five teenagers reporting abuse of a prescription
medication to get high, parents must open their eyes to the dangers of this
new tier of teen substance abuse," said Steve Pasierb, CEO, the Partnership
for a Drug-Free America. "Teens
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