Teens and painkillers

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7582787/

Generation Rx? Teens abusing prescriptions
Report: More youth getting high on painkillers than
on illegal drugs
The Associated Press
Updated: 1:44 p.m. ET April 21, 2005NEW YORK - About one in five teenagers have tried prescription painkillers such as Vicodin and OxyContin to get high, with the pill-popping members of “Generation Rx” often raiding their parents’ medicine cabinets, according to a study by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America.



The 17th annual study on teen drug abuse, released Thursday, found that more teens had abused a prescription painkiller in 2004 than Ecstasy, cocaine, crack or LSD. One in 11 teens had abused over-the-counter products such as cough medicine, the study reported.

“For the first time, our national study finds that today’s teens are more likely to have abused a prescription painkiller to get high than they are to have experimented with a variety of illegal drugs,” said Partnership Chairman Roy Bostock. “In other words, Generation Rx has arrived.”

Vicodin most popular drug
According to the study, the most popular prescription drug abused by teens was Vicodin, with 18 percent — or about 4.3 million youths — reporting they had used it to get high. OxyContin and drugs for attention-deficit disorder such as Ritalin/Adderall followed with one in 10 teens reporting they had tried them.

Fewer than half the teens — 48 percent — said they saw “great risk” in experimenting with prescription medicines. “Ease of access” was cited as a major factor in trying the medications, with medicine cabinets at home or at friends’ homes a likely source, the survey found.



A record 36 million Americans have abused prescription drugs at least once in their lifetime, a government study found. To find out more about some of the most commonly abused prescription painkillers, select a medication above.


Maker: Purdue Pharma L.P.
Known as the 'hillbilly heroin,' OxyContin is the brand name for an opioid analgesic prescribed for chronic moderate to severe pain. Its active ingredient Oxycodone is more potent than hydrocodone and has a greater potential for abuse. Oxycodone is also found in at least 45 other drugs on the market, including Percocet. Since hitting the U.S. market in 1996, OxyContin has become one of the most popular -- and most abused -- medical painkillers. More than 7.2 million prescriptions were dispensed in 2001, according to the company. It is a time-released narcotic which provides continuous relief for up to 12 hours.

Like other opioids, it works primarily through interaction with the mu opioid receptors, especially in the brain and spinal cord. It produces a euphoric effect.

Because of its time-release function, the medication comes in large doses and can be fatal if it is crushed or chewed. According to published reports, maker Purdue Pharma is researching for a method to mask the drug's effects if it is crushed, a common way it is abused by addicts.



Maker: Knoll Pharmaceutical
The drug taken in large doses by Rush Limbaugh and that nearly killed 'Friends' star Matthew Perry, Vicodin is the brand name of an opioid analgesic similar to heroin and morphine. One of the most frequently prescribed medications for moderate to severe pain such as migraines, back pain and cancer, Vicodin's active ingredients are hydrocodone bitartrate and acetaminophen, which work on pain receptors in the brain. It can become physically addictive after only several weeks of use. In fact, it is one of the top 20 most abused controlled substances in the United States, according to drug addiction researchers. It is an older drug than OxyContin and is effective for only a 3-4 hour period. Chronic use of opioids can result in tolerance, which means that users must take higher doses to achieve the same effects.

Side effects:
Dizziness, drowsiness, lightheadedness, constipation, nausea, or vomiting. Some doctors assert that abuse of Vicodin can cause hearing loss.




Prescribed for moderate to severe pain, Percodan is the brand name for a combination of two pain-killing drugs, the narcotic oxycodone and aspirin. Percocet combines oxycodone and acetaminophen. Both are in a class of opioids that includes morphine, heroin, Demerol and others. It works by blocking pain signals from the brain and spinal cord. Available in tablet, capsule, and liquid form, it is taken every 6 hours by mouth.

Side effects: Sleepiness or dizziness, nausea or vomiting and constipation. People taking the drug should avoid alcohol or any other medications containing aspirin or acetaminophen.



It was only the second year that the survey had studied abuse of legal drugs. In 2003, the Partnership grouped together three prescription pain relievers: Vicodin, OxyContin and Tylox, and found that 20 percent of teens had tried them.

The 2004 study looked at Vicodin and OxyContin separately but excluded Tylox, and found that 18 percent had tried Vicodin and 10 percent had used OxyContin. The 2004 figures indicated the same or a slight increase in use compared with 2003, said Barbara Delaney, director of research at the Partnership.

For the first time, the 2004 survey included a question about the use of over-the-counter products to get high. Nine percent, or about 2.2 million teens, had experimented with cough syrup and other such products, the survey reported.

It also found that the number of teens reporting marijuana use declined to 37 percent last year, compared with 42 percent a half-dozen years earlier. Over the same amount of time, ecstasy use declined from 12 percent to 9 percent, while methamphetamine use dropped from 12 percent to 8 percent.


'A wake-up call to parents'
A University of Michigan study released in December also noted the apparent growing popularity of OyxContin among teens. Dr. Mitchell Rosenthal, head of the Phoenix House drug treatment facility, said his agency has watched the use of painkillers by adolescents rise in recent years.

“Adolescents find the line between drugs that do good for you and drugs that make you feel good becoming fuzzier every year,” said Rosenthal, whose non-profit organization treats 6,000 patients in nine states. “This is a wake-up call to parents.”

The 2004 Partnership Attitude Tracking Study surveyed more than 7,300 teens, the largest ongoing analysis of teen drug-related attitudes toward drugs in the country. Its margin of error is plus or minus 1.5 percent.

The 2004 Partnership Attitude Tracking Study surveyed more than 7,300 teens, the largest ongoing analysis of teen drug-related attitudes toward drugs in the country. Its margin of error is plus or minus 1.5 percent.

The nonprofit Partnership for a Drug-Free America was launched in 1987.

 

"Generation Rx", it's a "please fix me so I don't have to" world...

"Generation Sleep Apnea"

 

You wouldn't believe the number of young people (18-30) we get into rehab daily that are addicted to oxycontin.

 

my 21 yr. old nephew is

 

2 kids overdosed earlier this week, on some kind of prescription mediicine, where my wife teaches.