Prescription medications is fast becoming one of the easiest and most frequently abusive way to get high. Part of the reason for this is that these drugs are very easy to access or steal. According to certain statistics an average of 2000 teenagers will use
prescription drugs for the first time to get high. There is a wide variety of reasons as to why teenagers use these medications. Some use them to relieve pain, focus better in school, or simply to get a high or rush. The most important factor to be considered is that prescription drugs can be just as harmful on the body as street drugs or illegal narcotics. Especially if these medications are taken without a doctor’s guidance.
Virtually every medicatio
n presents some risk of undesirable side effects, sometimes even serious ones. Doctors consider the potential benefits and risk
s to each patient before prescribing medications. They understand that drugs affect the body in many ways and take into account things like the patient’s age, weight, and medical history; the drug’s form, dose, and possible side effects; and the potential for addiction. People who abuse drugs might not understand how these factors interact and put them at risk, or that prescription drugs do more than cause a high, help them stay awake, help them relax, or relieve pain.
It seems with teenagers and young adults that raiding the medicine cabinet is a cheaper, safer and easier way to get high. The side-effects and potential dangers seem to go unnoticed, because there is this notion that if a doctor prescribed said medication that it must be safe for anyone to use. This is simply not the case. There are dozens of factors that go into a doctor’s decision to write a prescription, and it is simply untrue that because your mom or dad handled their medication properly, that you can as well.
The side-effects of prescribed medications can be serious. High blood pressure, fast heart rate, paranoia, drowsiness, and the list goes on. The sad part is that it is very unlikely that a young adult or teenager who is stealing their parents pain medication will read the warning on the bottle, and it is even more unlikely that they will consult a medical professional before use.