Prescription and Over-the-Counter Drug Abuse Prevention

According to the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, “abuse of prescription drugs to get high has become increasingly prevalent among teens and young adults. Past year abuse of prescription pain killers now ranks second—only behind marijuana—as the Nation’s most prevalent illegal drug problem.”

Use of prescription drugs without a doctor’s prescription or only for the experience or feeling they cause is commonly referred to as “nonmedical” use. As noted above, prescription painkillers, such as hydrocodone, oxycodone, and morphine, provide indispensable medical benefit, but when taken without a physician’s direction can cause serious adverse consequences and produce dependence and abuse. According to the Drug Abuse Warning Network, approximately 363,000 emergency department visits in 2007 involved the nonmedical use of pain relievers (including both prescription and over-the-counter [OTC] pain medications). Ritalin, Adderall, Concerta, and Dexadrine, which are all classified as stimulants and have been dubbed “study drugs,” are being used on college campuses to increase energy, alertness, mood, and well-being. These “study drugs” come with their own set of risks if they are taken without a prescription, including irregular heartbeat, high body temperatures, cardiovascular failure, and seizures.

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