Benadryl, Sudafed, and Tylenol. Teenager stabs friend to death. Teens hallucinating as if on illegal drug PCP.
Over the counter medications (OTC's) that are frequently used for good purpose are also being abused especially by teens. Teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17 are the most common abusers of OTC’s. The previously mentioned drugs were once held as simply drugs for allergies or headaches and are now being used mainly by teens to reach the same effect illegal or prescription drug due to the ingredients found in such drugs. Research has shown that 1 out of every 11 teens have abused an OTC. Thus, 10% of teens or 2.4 million repost abusing the over the counter cough medicine.
The variety of drugs are appealing to teens because of their cheap cost and easy accessibility. Teens have been found to mix OTC's with prescription drugs, street (illegal) drugs, and alcohol to increase the effect of the drugs and also crush pills and snort them. Over the years, there has been a jump in teenagers who abuse of such drugs. Drug treatment centers have had a 30% increase of admissions dealing with OTC abuse. Why should we focus on helping teenagers stay away from OTC abuse? OTC abuse increases the chance of such teenager abusing street drugs like Ecstasy and Marijuana.
Robo. Syrup. Skittles. Dex. Tussin. Triple C. What are the meanings to these terms? Are they new candies filling the stores? Not necessarily. These are only some of the few terms used by teenagers to describe overt the counter medications used specifically to reach a "high" effect. Being conscious of such terms will help the general public be aware and knowledgeable of code words teenagers can be using. Following the suggestions previously mentioned and others that will be mentioned will help to lower this statistic of OTC abuse amongst teens and increase the frequency with which parents must discuss the risk involved with OTC abuse.
Help for Troubled Teens by Troubled Teen 101. 2009. http://www.troubledteen101.com. Retrieved October 15, 2009.
Associated Press. "Judge says Lincoln man remains mentally ill." August 13, 2008. http://journalstar.com/news/local/article_9367ba34-4eeb-5f98-b203-daffa93ff181.html
National Drug Control Policy. Parents. The Anti-Drug. 2007. http://www.recres.org/publications/OTCdrugs_RR.pdf
Thats crazy! I'm 13 and I didnt even know about this. Its kinda scary but good to know.
ReplyDeleteJewels- You must always be aware of what some kids are doing and never participate in something you know is wrong of even something you don't know about. Being aware of the new terms being used will help you confront this in school.
ReplyDeleteWow! It is hard keeping up with the new terms. I agree with Obe, it is a good idea to be familiar with the new terms but to be safe: NEVER participate in anything
ReplyDeleteI assume most of these kids are not "city" kids. They're pretty creative coming up with some weird names....but I bet its a conspiracy. Trust me...why is that the companies like McNeil Consumer Healthcare make extra Strength tylenol now...they know what they're doing...makin more $$$$
ReplyDeleteMost of the names created are a derivative of what the product abused is Robo and Tussin are word plays on the product Robitussin. Dex is short for Dextromethorphan and the name Triple C stems from one of the more popular drugs abused, Corcidin. As for your Tylenol conspiracy I can neither confirm nor deny that that is true, but no amount of over the counter Tylenol will get you high, but a small amount can cause irreversible liver damage and even death. As a matter of fact Acetaminophen (the active ingredient in Tylenol) caused 51% of liver poisoning cases in the U.S. in 2003 (http://www.natap.org/2006/HCV/013006_04.htm).
ReplyDeleteI don't think teenagers see the damage that they are doing to their body when they are abusing these drugs. I myself was on hydrocodone after surgery and I didn't realize I had gotten addicted until after I ran out of the pills and was goin through withdrawal symptoms. It's crazy. But I believe parents should be more observant and watch their kids more often this way possibly their problem can be caught early.
ReplyDelete