Teens and Prescription Drugs: An Analysis of Recent Trends on the Emerging Drug Threat, Office of National Drug Control Policy, February 2007

A number of national studies and published reports indicate that the intentional abuse of prescription drugs, such as pain relievers, tranquilizers, stimulants, and sedatives, to get high, particularly by teenagers, is a growing concern in the United States. 

• Teens are turning away from street drugs and using prescription drugs to get high.  New users of prescription drugs have caught up to new users of marijuana.
• Teens wrongly believe that these drugs are safer than street drugs. 
• The majority of teens get prescription drugs easily and for free, often from friends or relatives.
• Pain relievers such as OxyContin and Vicodin are the most commonly abused prescription drugs by teens.
• Adolescents are more likely than young adults to become dependent on prescription medication.
• Parents need to educate themselves about the dangers of prescription drugs and talk to their teens about the risks.

The full report can be found at: http://www.mediacampaign.org/teens/