Teen Prescription Drug Abuse Growing

January 15, 2008

Prescription drug abuse by teenagers and young adults is a growing problem in the United States. Data from the Partnership for a Drug Free America's annual tracking study suggests:

1 in 5 teens has abused a prescription pain medication

1 in 5 report abusing prescription stimulants and tranquilizers

1 in 10 has abused cough medication

The Partnership for a Drug-Free America is doing a great job with educating parents, young adults and teenagers on the real risks associated with the misuse of prescription drugs and other commonly abused substances.

Kids as young as 12 are experimenting with prescription drugs non-medically - to "get high" or to "self-medicate." Pharmaceuticals are more readily accessible to children than illicit drugs because they are typically stored in medicine cabinets at homes.

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health identifies 4 types of prescription drugs that are commonly abused - painkillers, stimulants, sedatives and tranquilizers. An astonishing eleven percent of teenagers (ages 12-17) reported non-medical use of painkillers and four percent reported non-medical use of stimulants.

Painkillers are the most commonly abused prescription drug among teenagers, especially younger teens. Stimulant abuse is most commonly found in older teenagers and college students than in younger teens. Females are more likely to be current abusers of prescription drugs than males (4.3 vs. 3.6 percent) [Source: 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health].

Many argue that online pharmacies are a great resource for teenagers looking to obtain dangerous and addictive prescription drugs for non-medical uses. William Hill, CEO and founder of RxPop.com (http://www.rxpop.com), says, "I couldn't agree more! Online pharmacies can pose serious risks to consumers of all ages, especially minors. To help protect children, parents should enable the Parental Controls which are available on most computers today. Parents should also be open with their children informing them of the deadly dangers associated with the misuse of prescription drugs."

When asking Hill how consumers can protect themselves from rogue online pharmacies, he replied, "Consumers should make certain that any online pharmacy they conduct business with is properly licensed and governed by the U.S. or Canada." He adds, "RxPop.com was designed to put legitimate patients in touch with legitimate pharmacies while conducting business over the Internet in a highly secure, private environment."

There's no doubt that rogue online pharmacies contribute largely to the ever-growing problem of prescription drugs being misused and abused by teenagers in the United States, although it seems the real problem and largest contributing factor to this nearing epidemic can be found in unsecured medicine cabinets. So parents, please secure the location in which you store prescription medications in your home.

To view a list of online pharmacies identified by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) as running illegal operations visit, http://www.rxpop.com/standards_scamlist.asp.

About RxPop.com
RxPop.com is the Internet's most popular destination that offers consumers prescription drug price comparison and licensed online pharmacy referral services. Led by a talented team of e-commerce experts, RxPop.com offers price comparisons on over 13,000 medications being sold by approximately 50 of the Internet's largest and most reputable pharmacies which are all licensed in their governing countries, including the U.S. and Canada. RxPop.com is the most secure and convenient way for consumers to search and perform up-to-date price comparisons of prescription drugs.
For more information on RxPop.com, a division of Rxium LLC, visit http://www.rxpop.com or contact us directly at press (@) rxpop.com.