More Teens are Abusing ADHD Drugs
ADHD drugs are being abused more than ever by teens. A new study says that ADHD prescription abuse increased exponentially compared to other poison center calls. The study by Pediatrics focused on US poison control centers from 1998-2005 among 13-19 year olds. The abuse rate among teens abusing ADHD meds rose 76% - faster than calls for victims of substance abuse generally and teen substance abuse.
While ADHD affects about 8-12% of children and 4% of adults around the world, more and more people without ADHD are turning to the stimulant drugs that are prescribed to ADHD patients. More prescriptions are written than ever - but more prescriptions are being abused. Also during 1998-2005, prescriptions written for 10-19 year old ADHD patients rose 86%. Poison center calls related to ADHD amphetamines went from 22% to 70% which was even higher than the prescription increase. So this means that more people are abusing than are acquiring prescriptions. Researchers say that most adolescents use their ADHD drugs properly, but because the drugs are more popular - they are more likely to be abused because of increased access to them.
As a recent college student, I saw the increase in use. Friends and friends-of-friends have taken the drug the night before a big paper was due so they could focus better. And others have snorted it for "fun." I'm not sure about the addictive qualities or OD risks. My first exposure to this abuse phenomenon was in middle school, when students from the boys and girls basketball teams were found snorting crushed ADHD meds on the playground which led them to be suspended from school and the team for a while. I have no idea where they got that idea - but it's clearly grown since then (this event happened about ten years ago). Where do you think young children are getting these ideas?
I don't see this abuse slowing down. I think it's only liable to increase exponentially! Many times I wondered how I would've reacted after taking these meds then taking a test or writing a paper. If people are beginning to use them as performance-enhancers (like steroids for athletes) it provides an unfair advantage and ups the ante for other students. It also trivializes those who have ADHD. If the abuse continues there will be stricter regimens for patients who were prescribed the meds correctly.
• What do you think? Will teens just use more and more of these drugs? (I've known people to pay about $5-10 for one pill).
• Where do we draw the line between performance-enhancing and actual treatment?
• Is use for performance-enhancement ok?
• What can we do to stop kids from using these drugs?
• How can we protect the rights of those who were correctly prescribed and not abusing their prescription?
• What rules should be in place to prevent incorrect over-usage?
• What would you tell a classroom of 7th graders who are about to come into contact with this sort of drug abuse?
• How is this abuse different than abusing alcohol or other drugs?
While ADHD affects about 8-12% of children and 4% of adults around the world, more and more people without ADHD are turning to the stimulant drugs that are prescribed to ADHD patients. More prescriptions are written than ever - but more prescriptions are being abused. Also during 1998-2005, prescriptions written for 10-19 year old ADHD patients rose 86%. Poison center calls related to ADHD amphetamines went from 22% to 70% which was even higher than the prescription increase. So this means that more people are abusing than are acquiring prescriptions. Researchers say that most adolescents use their ADHD drugs properly, but because the drugs are more popular - they are more likely to be abused because of increased access to them.
As a recent college student, I saw the increase in use. Friends and friends-of-friends have taken the drug the night before a big paper was due so they could focus better. And others have snorted it for "fun." I'm not sure about the addictive qualities or OD risks. My first exposure to this abuse phenomenon was in middle school, when students from the boys and girls basketball teams were found snorting crushed ADHD meds on the playground which led them to be suspended from school and the team for a while. I have no idea where they got that idea - but it's clearly grown since then (this event happened about ten years ago). Where do you think young children are getting these ideas?
I don't see this abuse slowing down. I think it's only liable to increase exponentially! Many times I wondered how I would've reacted after taking these meds then taking a test or writing a paper. If people are beginning to use them as performance-enhancers (like steroids for athletes) it provides an unfair advantage and ups the ante for other students. It also trivializes those who have ADHD. If the abuse continues there will be stricter regimens for patients who were prescribed the meds correctly.
• What do you think? Will teens just use more and more of these drugs? (I've known people to pay about $5-10 for one pill).
• Where do we draw the line between performance-enhancing and actual treatment?
• Is use for performance-enhancement ok?
• What can we do to stop kids from using these drugs?
• How can we protect the rights of those who were correctly prescribed and not abusing their prescription?
• What rules should be in place to prevent incorrect over-usage?
• What would you tell a classroom of 7th graders who are about to come into contact with this sort of drug abuse?
• How is this abuse different than abusing alcohol or other drugs?
Tags: abuse, adhd, drugs, medications, meds, poison, stimulants
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