Teen Prescription Drug Use Unchanged

The latest research indicates that teen abuse of prescription and over-the-counter medication has not increased, but seems to be leveling off. Unfortunately, that is not necessarily good news with 17% of high school students admitting to abuse of prescription drugs in their lifetimes.

Of greater concern to health officials is the role that parents may be playing in teen's decision to begin using prescription drugs to get high or alter their mood.

The latest Partnership Attitude Tracking Study (PATS) shows that the rate of prescription drug abuse by teens is holding steady at 17% after peaking at 22% in 2010. The report also shows that over-the-counter use of cold and cough medications to get high is holding steady around 12%.

Teen Pain Pill Abuse Declines

The latest PATS survey did reveal some encouraging news about teen use of prescription pain pills, specifically Vicodin and OxyContin:

• 10% of teens used pain pills in the past 12 months, down from 15% in 2009.
• 6% said they used pain medications in the past 30 days, down from 9%.
• 12% admitted using cough medication in the past year, significantly unchanged from 2009.

Attitudes Have Shifted

Researchers believe that the reduction in the use of prescription pain pills can be attributed partially to a shift in attitudes. Teens who "strongly disapprove" of peers who use prescription drugs has increased to 58%, up from 52% in 2010.

Another factor is that fewer girls are using prescription drugs to get high or alter their moods. In 2011, 16% of teen girls reported abusing prescription drugs, down significantly from 23% in 2010 and 21% in 2009.

During the same time frame, prescription drug use by teen boys remained flat, the study showed.

The Role Parents Can Play

The PATS research also revealed the role that parents may be playing in drug abuse being at unacceptable high levels among today's teens:

• 31% of parents have never talked with their children about prescription drug abuse.
• 64% of parents do not secure their prescription drugs in the home.
• 18% of parents are abusing prescription drugs themselves.

Parents Can Make a Difference

Although 69% of parents claim they have talked with their teens about drug abuse, the PATS study found that only 16% of teens said they have had such a conversation with their parents in the past year.

Those conversations could be helpful, researchers said, because teen who report learning from their parents about the risks of drugs are half as likely to use prescription medications to get high.

The PATS study is conducted by The Partnership at Drugfree.org and MetLife Foundation and is available online in PDF format.

^{Source: The Partnership at Drugfree.org. "The Partnership Attitude Tracking Study 2011." 2 May 2012.}

HEADRelated Information:

• The Myths About Teen Prescription Drug Abuse
  
• A Prescription for Teen Danger
  
• Commonly Abused Medications

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