Easy Access to Prescription Drugs Opens Door to Abuse by Teens

(October 03, 2007) -- Take two tablets twice per day.

Instruction labels don't matter to teens abusing prescription drugs.

Abuse of prescription drugs by teens is an ongoing problem nationally and locally, and Friday's arrest in Omaha tied to the stimulant Adderall provides evidence of the trend.

A major part of the problem is that prescription drugs are easy for teens to find. They grab prescription drugs from the family medicine cabinet or buy them from friends.

"It's the accessibility," said Kathy Burson, co-executive director of the drug prevention group PRIDE Omaha. "It's right there."

Drugs like Adderall, prescribed for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, can be even easier to get because they are prescribed to young people, said Mike Phillips, program director for Catholic Charities Omaha Campus of Hope, a substance abuse treatment program.

Burson said her office has received sporadic reports over the last several years of Omaha-area teens abusing the drug. While she doesn't think the drug is a major problem, she said parents should be aware of it.

Nate Bock, a drug prevention counselor at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, said his office has had less than a half-dozen students per year reporting they've used Adderall without a prescription.

But, he added, "I suspect there is more going on than we know of."

Phillips said young people are less likely to seek counseling or treatment for abusing Adderall and other stimulants.

Adderall, which is similar to Ritalin, increases the levels of chemicals in the brain that help a person concentrate. Because of that, the drug is highly effective in treating attention-deficit disorder, said Dr. Martin Wetzel of the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

If a person doesn't have the disorder, Adderall provides a slight improvement in concentration, he said. A person who abuses it could become addicted, thinking he or she can't function without it.

Although the stimulant could help a person focus better, it's more likely that teens and college students who abuse Adderall take it to stay awake after they've drunk alcohol or smoked marijuana, Wetzel said. And those who can drink large amounts of alcohol and not pass out are at risk for alcohol poisoning.

Some young people also believe the boost from stimulants fits society's expectation for people to be active.

"We like to go, go, go," Phillips said.

Adderall abuse could grow, said Wetzel, an assistant professor in the psychiatry department at UNMC. More cases of attention-deficit disorder are being identified nationally, he said.

Recent arrests or citations of Millard North High School and Westside High School students involved Adderall.

Officials of the school districts said they have ongoing drug prevention efforts. In Millard, a task force is looking at ways to improve the drug prevention efforts.

A national survey by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America found that parents don't always take teen abuse of prescription drugs as seriously as abuse of illegal drugs. In the survey released this year, 37 percent of parents and 40 percent of teens said teen abuse of prescription pain killers is safer than abuse of illegal street drugs such as marijuana.

Tia Spencer, an Omaha Central High sophomore, said that while she has not heard of students abusing prescription drugs, young people can be tempted.

She said parents need to make sure their children can't get to the drugs.

"They can be curious," she said.

Phillips agreed that some parents are not careful enough and their attitude is reflected by the way the drugs are stored. Parents leave their painkillers and other prescription drugs around the house.

"They'd notice their vodka bottle going lower (more) than a couple pills (missing)," he said.

World-Herald staff writer Leia Baez contributed to this report.

Source: Omaha World-Herald, Neb.

Last updated: 10/07

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