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Causes
By Mayo Clinic staffTeens and adults abuse prescription drugs for a number of reasons. Some of these include:
- To feel good or get high
- To relax or relieve tension (painkillers and tranquilizers)
- To reduce appetite (stimulants)
- To experiment
- To be accepted by peers (peer pressure) or to be social
- To be safe — it's a false belief that prescription drugs are safer than street drugs
- To be legal — it's a mistaken thought that taking prescription drugs without a prescription is legal
- To feed an addiction
Obtaining prescription drugs
Most prescriptions are written for people who have a true medical need for these drugs. But many households have a drawer or cabinet filled with old prescription bottles containing leftover drugs. Because prescription drugs have medical uses, teens often believe these drugs are a safe alternative to street drugs.
In some cases, a doctor's prescription isn't even needed. Some countries don't require prescriptions for opioid painkillers or other commonly abused drugs, so they can be obtained from some websites without a prescription. Obtaining drugs online from pharmacies that don't require a prescription can be risky. Some websites sell counterfeit drugs that contain potentially dangerous substances.
- Parran TV. Prescription drug abuse. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed May 11, 2010.
- NIDA InfoFacts: Prescription and over-the-counter medications. National Institute on Drug Abuse. http://www.drugabuse.gov/infofacts/PainMed.html. Accessed May 11, 2010.
- Prescription drugs facts and figures. Office of National Drug Control Policy. http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/drugfact/prescrptn_drgs/rx_ff.html. Accessed May 17, 2010.
- Prescription drug abuse chart. Office of National Drug Control Policy. http://www.drugabuse.gov/DrugPages/PrescripDrugsChart.html. Accessed May 11, 2010.
- Preventing and recognizing prescription drug abuse. National Institute on Drug Abuse. http://www.drugabuse.gov/researchreports/prescription/prescription6.html. Accessed May 11, 2010.
- McCabe SE, et al. Motives for nonmedical use of prescription opioids among high school seniors in the United States. Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. 2009;163:739.
- Prescription drug abuse. Nemours. http://kidshealth.org/teen/drug_alcohol/drugs/prescription_drug_abuse.html. Accessed May 17, 2010.
- Youth risk behavior surveillance - United States, 2009. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/ss/ss5905.pdf. Accessed June 8, 2010.
- Proper disposal of prescription drugs. Office of National Drug Control Policy. http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/publications/pdf/prescrip_disposal.pdf. Accessed May 11, 2010.
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