Prescription drug abuse and misuse

Prescription Drug Abuse and Misuse A Global Perspective 9... 

Neal, Jordan, and Carol Kaufmann. A Fatal Combination Brother s Misuse of Prescription Drugs. Reader s Digest 173 (October 2008) 19. Along with facts and arguments, evidence of the seriousness of prescription drug abuse comes from real-life stories. In this article, Jordan Neal tells of the death of her brother from a combination of a cold medication, OxyCon-tin, and alcohol. 

Freevibe.com. Misuse, Abuse, and Addiction. Available online at http //www.freevibe.com/Drug Facts/prescription misuse-abuse.asp. Accessed June 2,2006. 

Ford, Jason A Nonmedical Prescription Drug Use among Adolescents The Influence of Bonds to Family and School. Youth Society 40, no. 3 (March 2009) 336-352. What kinds of teens are most likely to abuse prescription drugs It turns out from this study that they are the same kind of teens that abuse nonprescription drugs. Based on a 2005 national survey, the findings document that teens with weak ties to family and school most often misuse prescription drugs. 

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) estimates that there were approximately 900,000 Americans age 12 and older misusing prescription stimulants in 1999. Because of its popularity as a treatment for ADHD, adolescents are at a special risk for misusing dextroamphetamine drugs. 

Before leaving the discussion on prescription-drug misuse and abuse, we should note that a variety of over-the-counter substances with psychoactivc properties are also subject to abuse. Examples are nonprescription hypnotics that contain antihistamines, nonprescription cold and allcrg) products, laxatives, nonprescription stimulants, and diet pills. These arc described in more detail in Chapter 14. 

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