Issue Analysis
Issue Analysis : Communication and Teenage Prescription Drug Abuse
Abstract
Prescription drug abuse is a prime example of how a lack of communication can be the cause of a problem. Especially among teenagers, prescription drug abuse is prevalent due to a lack of information. Communication is absolutely necessary at several levels to inform and educate the risks, facts, and suggestions to further suppress the growing crisis. It is a situation that desperately requires the attention followed by the education of parents and teens alike.
Introduction
When prescription drugs are used as directed by a doctor or pharmacist, they can have positive results. According to The Department of Health and Human Services, “Prescription drugs are powerful allies in our quest to alleviate human suffering” (Volkow). Psychotherapeutics and pain relievers are intended to “reduce the burden of mental illness and physical pain” (Volkow). However, with these benefits come harmful side effects. Prescription drugs are subject to abuse, addiction and overdose.
In 2006, nearly twenty percent (4.5 million) teens were reported to have used prescription drugs for non-medical use (Generation Rx). Prescription drugs are now the leading abused drug among teenagers in America, more than cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamines combined
(Teen).
Although teenage drug abuse as a whole has been on a steady decline, prescription drug abuse has been increasing (Teen). These trends in adolescents are particularly problematic because adolescence is the period of greatest risk not only for drug experimentation but also for developing addiction. Also, at this stage of development, the brain is still changing and exposure to drugs could interfere with these developmental changes (Testimony).
The Result of Miscommunication
The problem regarding teenage prescription drug abuse lies with Americans who have a false sense of safety regarding prescription drug use. Prescription pain relievers, such as Oxycontin, are very similar to the chemical makeup and potency of heroin. Teens wrongly believe that abusing prescription drugs are safer than using illegal street drugs such as, heroin and cocaine. “There is a world of difference between good medicine and bad behavior,” said Dr. Michael Maves, executive vice president & CEO of the American Medical Association and a Partnership board member. “When these medicines are abused – when they are used for anything other than their intended and approved purpose – they can be every bit as dangerous as illegal street drugs” (Generation Rx). Many are completely ignorant to the dangers associated the medications. This miscommunication is the driving force behind the growing dilemma. According to a survey given by Partnership for a Drug Free America, 40% of teens agree that prescription medications, even if they are not prescribed by a doctor, are much safer than illegal “street drugs” (cocaine, heroin…etc). Furthermore, 31% of teens believe there is nothing wrong with using prescription drugs to get high (Generation Rx).
The miscommunication is also prevalent among parents and relatives. Many are simply ignorant to the problem. Parents and relatives are leaving the medications in easy access places for teenagers to get their hands on. The survey also shows that three out of five teens say prescription pain relievers are easy to get from parents medicine cabinets (Generation Rx). For teens, easy access to drugs is another key factor in the increasing trend. Therefore, the belief that prescription drugs are a safer way to get high, teamed with easy access, can be a lethal combination.
Comparing
“To understand how these drugs can have both beneficial effects in patients and serious abuse and health liabilities in people taking them for non-medical reasons requires knowledge of how drugs exert their effects in the brain” (Volkow).
Commonly abused prescription drugs act upon the same brain systems as commonly abused illicit drugs. A substantial overlap often exists between the brain systems that “mediate the therapeutic effects of psychotropic medications” and those responsible for the effects of drugs of abuse (Volkow). However, while the brain systems that are targeted for therapeutic use from medications may be the same as those for some drugs of abuse, differences in how much of the drug gets into the brain and how fast it gets there determine whether desirable (therapeutic) or undesirable (abuse and addiction) effects will follow. Dosage, route of administration, and user expectations are important factors in how the body will react to the drugs. For example, Oxycontin and Ritalin are designed to be taken orally, and prescribed as such, so the drugs can be released slowly at a controlled rate for their intended therapeutic use. However, when the drugs are taken intravenously or snorted, the dosage travels to the brain faster and in more abundance, which can make the drugs much more toxic and/or lethal.
Education by Communication
The first step to help this problem is for parents to be informed so they can further educate their children. The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy took a monumental step in an attempt to tackle this by running a $30 million ad campaign on teenage prescription drug abuse (ONDCP). The campaign includes several ads including two television ads, one of which was shown during the Super Bowl, and 27 other networks for the next few months. The campaign also includes newspaper ads in 43 national newspapers, ads in several magazines, online banners, and a new brochure, all targeting parents (ONDCP). The campaign is an important start to the education process. Although the ads are great tools, I feel a rhetorical use of fear that focuses more on the dangers of Rx medications and their similarities to illegal drugs will better bring the issue to light.
The next step in the communication process is between parents and their teens. Studies have shown that only a third of parents have discussed prescription drug abuse with their children (ONDCP). Adolescents who learn about the risks of drugs at home are 50% less likely to use drugs (Generation Rx). When talking to teens, parents need to stress how similar prescription drugs are to illicit drugs, such Oxycontin versus heroin.
Other Steps for Parents
There are several steps parents can take to further protect their children. First, they must safeguard all medications in the house making them inaccessible to teens. If the medications are unused, then they need to be disposed of properly. Second, children learn from example, thus, parents should demonstrate proper use of prescription drugs to according to the doctors and pharmacists instructions. Rules at home must be arranged to avoid sharing, mixing, and proper intake of medications. Finally, parents need to educate relatives, friends, and neighbors of the risks and suggest a similar course of action.
Works Cited
Generation Rx. Partnership for a Drug-Free America. 15 May 2006. 5 February 2008. <http://www.drugfree.org/
Portal/DrugIssue/Research/Teens_2005/Generation_Rx_Study_Confirms_Abuse_of_Prescription.>
ONDCP Launches Initiative to Combat Teen Prescription Drug Abuse.” Office of National Drug Control Policy.
5 February, 2008. <http://www.jointogether.org/news/yourturn/announcements/2008/ondcp-launches-major.html>.
“Prescription Drug Abuse: A Serious Problem.” Partnership for a Drug-Free America. 23 January 2008. 5 February 2008. http://www.drugfree.org/Parent/Resources/Prescription
Teen Drug Use. National Institute on Drug Abuse. 1 March 2008. <http://www.drugabuse.gov/Newsroom/04/NR12- 21.html>.
Volkow M.D., Nora. “Testimony.” U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 26 July 2006. 13 February 2008. http://www.hhs.gov/asl/testify/t060726a.html
