Teens prone to abusing prescription drugs say docs

DRUG ABUSE: After alcohol and marijuana, prescription drugs are the most abused substances by teenagers.

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Washington: They get them from the family medicine cabinet or buy them on the street. Experts say prescription medications are misused by adolescents more often than any other drugs except alcohol and marijuana.

Says Dr Sharon Levy of the American Academy of Pediatrics, "We know that nearly 13 per cent of adolescents have misused a narcotic or an amphetamine and nearly 10 per cent have misused a benzodiazepine in their lifetime."

Narcotics are painkillers, amphetamines are stimulants and, benzodiazepines are anti-anxiety drugs and sedatives.

Says Dr Sharon Levy, "A lot of these drugs have pretty significant addiction potentials."

Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Dr Nora Volkow, says teens often don't recognise the dangers of prescription medications.

Says Dr Volkow, "They have this sense of false security, a doctor prescribes them, then it's not so bad.

Dr Volkow also says teens sometimes mix drugs or take them with alcohol, creating a dangerous and potentially fatal combination. Parents are warned to look for changes in their child that could signal drug abuse.

Adds Dr Levy that this could lead to a loss of interest in sports or other activities and could lead them to develop a habit of lying and stealing."

Dr Levy suggests talking with your child, expressing your concerns and seeking professional help and treatment.