Prescription Drugs and Young Adults

Drug treatment centers have been reporting since the 90s that prescription drugs are the most commonly abused drugs in the younger patients being treated.

Medications Seem Low Risk to Teens, but are Very Addictive

Medications Seem Low Risk to Teens, but are Very Addictive

Of course, the  most addictive type of prescription drugs are opiates, and since they provide basically the same “high” as heroin, heroin is also incredibly popular among young adults as well.

Accidental overdose is now a more common cause of death than car accidents according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Innocent Beginnings to an Extremely Harsh Reality

Since prescription medications are very habit forming, many young adults get ensnared in their grasp before they can really understand what’s happening. The street price for prescription pills is very high – often more than $50 per pill1.  The cost for the same “fix” using heroin is $5-$102.  So many young people who never imagined that they would be injecting heroin end up doing so when it becomes prohibitively difficult to obtain the prescription medications.  The withdrawals can be unbelievably difficult (that’s why it’s always recommended to choose the detox with utmost care).

Taking Action Quickly

Due to the high risk of overdose upon each use of opiates (or other prescription drugs), loved ones of any young adult who are suspected of abusing medications should start the process of interrupting the use and steering the young person toward treatment.  If the prospect of doing so is overwhelming, we recommend starting the process with an interventionist.

Contact our caring counselors for more information and to have all of your questions answered.

References
1.Prescription Drugs: Spending, Use, and Prices, available here.
2.National Drug Threat Assessment, available here.