Teens Using Prescription and Over-the-Counter Drugs to Get High

Surveys show more teens using prescription and over-the-counter drugs to get high. Listed below are new articles that focus on this growing problem.

How Do Kids Get Prescription Drugs?
When popping pills becomes a top priority, people often find new ways to get the drugs they want. Most Americans get their prescriptions filled at local or legitimate online pharmacies, but people who misuse and abuse prescription drugs look for other sources.

A Prescription for Danger—Use of Painkillers on the Rise
The latest threat in teen drug use may be lurking in your medicine cabinet. Young people’s abuse of prescription drugs has surged compared to their use of illegal drugs such as marijuana and ecstasy.¹ Tackle this issue and learn more about incorrect use of prescription drugs. Then, talk with your child about the dangers.

Legal but Lethal: The Danger of Abusing Over-the-Counter Drugs
Parents worry about their child being offered drugs from a stranger on a street corner or a friend at a party. But a child can get deadly drugs from a person you might never suspect—you. The over-the-counter (OTC) drugs you use to soothe a cough or clear a stuffy nose can be abused by kids looking for an easy and cheap way to get high.