PRESCRIPTION MEDS MAY BE MISUSED BY YOUTH

This is the sixth installment in a six-part series on drug abuse,
provided by the Escambia County Schools Youth Empowerment Program.

Use of prescription pills is on the rise with our youth. Drugs like
Oxycontin, Vicodin and Lortab are becoming increasingly popular among
children from 11 to 18. According to a Reuters article from January
2002, Oxycontin killed more drug abusers in Florida than either heroin
or cocaine in the first six months of 2001.

Oxycontin is a prescription painkiller which is often given to people
with chronic pain or who are dying of cancer. It is similar to
Morphine in its structure and effects on the body.

Vicodin and Lortab act in a similar way. The drugs can cause a drunken
like state with nausea, drowsiness, impaired coordination, weakness
and confusion.

These drugs lower the heart rate, breathing rate and blood pressure of
the user. By depressing the respiratory rate, the drugs can cause
serious health problems to the user.

Youth obtain these substances by stealing them from elderly relatives,
family and friends who were legally prescribed the drugs. Some of
these youth in turn bring the pills to school or social events and
sell them for up to $40 per pill.

There have been a couple of incidents this year of students taking
pills from friends and ingesting them without even knowing what type
the medication was. These students are eager to please their peers and
have problems in their lives that they do not believe they can face
without getting high.

Parents can help prevent the illegal use of prescription medications
by their children by closely monitoring any medications kept at home
and assisting elderly relatives to do the same. Medication that are no
longer needed for the condition they were prescribed for should be
carefully discarded.

Teaching children to only take prescription medications that are
prescribed for them will also help in preventing abuse.

Many children mistakenly believe that it is safer to take prescription
pills than it is to experiment with other street substances like cocaine.

Parents should talk to their children about the dangers of taking
medications not prescribed for them.

For more information on drugs, a referral for drug abuse screening or
testing or counseling intervention, please contact Sheri L. Cox, Youth
Empowerment Coordinator, Escambia County Schools, 296-0633,
scox@escambiak12.net.