I Was Sure I Had More Pills Left
Is Your Teen Stealing Your Prescription Drugs?

Part one: Understanding the Threat and Why it is Growing

Young people are abusing prescription drugs in rapidly increasing numbers. Without concern for safety or side effects, children as young as twelve are habitually taking opiates, central nervous system (CNS) depressants, and stimulants, to get high and self-medicate. A recent survey by the Partnership for a Drug Free America indicates that one in five teens report taking prescription medication for non-medical purposes. The National Institute on Drug Abuse and the University of Michigan reported a 26 percent swell in teenage abuse of Oxycontin—a powerful opiate—since 2002. Overall, the number of teens abusing prescription drugs has tripled since 1992. Just as with other narcotics, the risks to our youth are tremendous, not only as an immediate hazard to their health, but also because it sets teens on a proven path to other criminal behavior. The threat of prescription drug abuse has been largely misunderstood and unobserved; with the menace mounting it is time for that to change.

Understanding the Allure
The issue of prescription drug abuse is not new, so why has it been sidelined for so long, and why has the threat been growing so much faster in recent years? First consider that pills have a connotation of safety, especially for naive or rash young people. The primary reasons for this connotation are because pills are easier to take than smoking pot or drinking alcohol and are professionally manufactured in a lab. They are easily available, comparatively cheap, and inconspicuous to carry around. Furthermore, most teens see them being used legally, often by their parents. A teen might easily say, asking a parent about their prescriptions, “If you can take them, why can’t I? We do it for the same reasons.” Perhaps this is part of what many parents misinterpret about teen drug use. Much more often than a parent might think, teens are abusing prescription drugs not to get high, but rather to be less depressed, less stressed out, more focused, or better rested. If parents are not drawing the line, then how will their children learn to?

Direct-to-consumer drug advertising was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1997. Since then most people have come to take it for granted that their lives will be flooded with ads for prescription drugs. These ads do not take a medical degree to understand, yet many of the products they advertise do. Someone who is nineteen now was nine when the floodgates opened. The result is that ever since today’s teens have been aware of prescription drugs, their understanding of them has been largely shaped by the pharmaceutical companies. It should be no surprise that so many teens now believe the industry message, that pills offer a cure for any ill. Which ones to take, many ads suggest, is largely a matter of personal choice. Many young people come to view psychology as a series of problems that can be solved with pills. Being a teenager can mean being fixated on personal problems; sadly, many teens have not realized that abusing prescription drugs only brings them more difficulty.

Smart Summer Alternatives for Teens

Vacation jobs aren't the only option for high school students these days. As well as teen-centered summer camps and summer schools, teens who have struggled with behavioral, academic or emotional challenges during the academic year have some additional - and very effective - options:

Wilderness Therapy Programs
If you know your child has been engaging in risky or troubling behaviors or you have been unsuccessful in your efforts to help your child overcome these issues during the school year, it might be time to consider a therapeutic wilderness program. Unlike a general summer camp, wilderness therapy programs use outdoor experiences like camping and orienteering to help troubled teens confront and work through issues ranging from substance abuse to more severe behavioral problems. If you've spent most of the school year waiting for your teen to turn things around (or hoping that he/she will), it's worth investigating wilderness therapy programs with qualified, experienced counselors and staff.

Summer Camps for Teens
If your child enjoyed a relatively successful academic year but you're concerned about the freedom and lack of routine summer vacation affords, a summer camp designed especially for teens might just be the answer. More and more parents are enrolling their teens in day and residential camps because of the consistent daily structure, guidance and supervision they afford. What's more, the camps are becoming more and more popular among teens because most provide experiences and opportunities not available at home or during the school year. From kayaking, rock climbing, backpacking and other outdoor experiences to music, cooking and fine arts, teens have the opportunity to discover or build on their interests and skills in an environment that helps them focus their energies in positive and constructive ways.