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Reasons and Prevention Strategies for Prescription Drug Abuse among Teens
Overview
Increasing abuse of prescription drugs among teens can be attributed to psychological, environmental, or behavioral conditions.Drug abuse in teens can be linked to other disorders or conditions which lead to drug abuse. Teens who abuse drugs are likely to become adults who abuse drugs. It is necessary to understand and address these underlying issues if successful prevention is to happen. First it is necessary to understand the magnitude of the problem
2.3 million Teens were abusing …show more content…
Teens who suffer from depression, anxiety, or other psychological disorders may turn to drugs to cope with their problems. Environmental conditions such as parental drug abuse or access to drugs may also lead to teens abusing drugs. Behavioral conditions in which teens act out or actively seek out dangerous behaviors may lead to teen using drugs to produce a euphoric or exaggerated sense of reality to fill a need for excitement. To prevent drug abuse these issues must be addressed and dealt with appropriately.
Prevention is important because not only will it save lives, it will prevent loss of quality of life for the many teens at risk, who do not become prescription drug abusers. Overdosing on drugs can not only cause death it can cause other medical conditions such as stroke and cardiac arrest. These conditions can lead to long term disabilities which can lead to a very poor quality of life. It will also save teens from the potential of a life time of fighting substance abuse.
Short term prevention can include methods such as ensuring prescription drugs are not easily accessible to teens. Long term prevention needs to address the underlying issues that influence drug abuse. Research and studies need to be conducted to find the most useful ways to address the issues that teens suffer from today. Finding ways to reach teens that they will feel comfortable with and that they will utilize is vital to …show more content…
This is occurring at an alarming rate. Drug abuse for any reason is dangerous; however it is important researchers examine the reasons for teen prescription drug abuse to prevent it from happening. There is no one reason teens begin abusing drugs so there is no one prevention method.
Prevention will have to come from community involvement, parental involvement, and some policy implementation. Educating school personnel and parents on the dangers of prescription drug abuse as well as understanding the causes of prescription drug abuse is important when it comes to prevention. Educating teens on the dangers of prescription drug abuse as well as healthy outlets for their problems and emotions is vital.
It is important that teens recognize that these are not safe drugs simply because they are not illegal. Schools often teach about the dangers of alcohol, smoking, and the use of illicit drugs, however, with the growing trend of prescription drug abuse comes a new realm of problems. The potential for overdose is extremely high since prescriptions drugs are often prescribe in doses meant for body size and previous