POPPING PILLS, JUST LIKE ADULTS

The good news: Fewer teens drank alcohol or used illegal drugs in
the past year. The bad news: Many reported taking cold or cough
medicines to get high. The worst news: Many also abuse prescription
painkillers and stimulants. Nearly 10 percent of high school seniors
surveyed admitted using excessive doses of Vicodin, a painkiller.

These are among the findings in a recent study by the National
Institute on Drug Abuse, part of the National Institutes of Health.

It seems high school students are getting the message that using
illegal drugs is a bad idea. But a 2005 study by the Partnership for
a Drug-Free America found fewer than half of teens surveyed thought
there was "great risk" in experimenting with prescription drugs.

Where would they get that idea?

Maybe it's a result of living in the prescription-drug capital of
the world. Americans spend more money per person on prescription
drugs than any other country. Maybe it's the result of the billions
of dollars drug makers spend on consumer advertising. From a young
age, kids watching television learn there's a drug for nearly every condition.

Adults in America pop pills left and right. No one should be
surprised their children are following suit.