Although there are many OTC (over the counter) medications that people can abuse and become addicted to I specifically want to talk about the use of prescription drug abuse and even more specifically teen painkiller drug use and abuse.
The most commonly abused prescription drugs amongst teen are called "opiates" or "opioids". Opiates being listed as the number 3 drug that teens use, only falling 3rd to the number 1 alcohol and number 2 marijuana. Teens often use these kinds of drugs either for the "buzz" or to stay awake for homework or a party. Most start by just taking one or two here and there from the home medicine cabinet or getting them from friends. After time they need more and more to get the same effect.
There are way too many street names for opiates but I will list a few of the most common amongst the top 3, which are morphine, fentanyl, and oxycodone.
Morphine: M.S., Miss Emma, morf, morpho, Emsel, dreamer, first line, unkie, hows etc..
Fentanyl: China girl, China town, china white, apache, great man, he-man, jackpot, dance fever...
Oxycodone: Hillbilly heroin, OC, Os, Ox, Oxicotton, Oxy 80's, pills, 40, 40 bar, 80, kicker ...
Teen Drug Statistics show that over 10% of 12th graders have abused prescription drugs. When speaking of "abused prescription drugs" I am referring to the definition typically used by professionals. That being someone who has taken prescription medications without a prescription or without any physical need to. These studies also show that about 2,500 teenagers will abuse prescription drugs for the first time every day.
Some of the effects of teen prescription drug use are declining grades, lack of money, mood swings, and feeling shaky or nauseated when not on the drugs. There are also physical signs such as drowsiness, depression, nightmares, euphoria, dysphoria, paranoia, hallucinations, and (in the case of injecting) track marks. Because opiates depress or stimulate the central nervous system when someone has become addicted to them and try to go without their withdrawal symptoms are often related to the nervous system such as; restlessness, pain in their muscles and bones, diarrhea, insomnia, involuntary shaky muscles (usually in the legs), and cold flashes.
