GORE SON'S ARREST PUTS SPOTLIGHT ON PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE

CHICAGO: Drug abuse experts say the arrest of former Vice President
Al Gore's son underscores the growing problem of prescription drug
abuse among America's youth. College students use the stimulant
Adderall, an attention deficit drug, to get a speedy high or pull all-nighters.

The other drugs police say they found in Al Gore III's possession --
marijuana, Xanax, Valium and Vicodin -- also are campus favorites, experts say.

"Al Gore's son is just like everyone else's," said Dr. Donald Misch,
director of health services at Northwestern University in Evanston.
"The only thing missing was the No. 1 abused drug, which is alcohol."

Students commonly pair pills with beer and cigarettes, experts say.
They trade tips about the effects of prescription drugs on networking
sites like Facebook and trade pills they have stolen from home
medicine cabinets, ordered on the Internet or taken from friends with
legitimate prescriptions.

Prescription drug abuse among 18- to 25-year-olds rose 17 percent
from 2002 to 2005, according to the White House drug policy office.
In 2004 and again in 2005, there were more new abusers of
prescription drugs than new users of any illicit drug. Today in
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Young people mistakenly believe prescription drugs are safer than
street drugs, doctors say. But accidental prescription drug deaths
are rising and students who abuse pills are more likely to drive
fast, binge-drink and engage in other dangerous behaviors.

The White House plans a national advertising campaign aimed at
getting parents to clean out their medicine cabinets and lock up any
prescription drugs they need, said deputy drug czar Scott Burns.

"We found in focus groups of young people across the country that in
large measure they're getting the drugs from their own medicine
cabinets and the Internet," Burns said. Some Web pharmacies deliver
ordered drugs without legitimate prescriptions, but other sites steal
credit card information and never fill orders, Burns said.

Nearly 60 percent of Americans who report abusing prescription drugs
say they get them from friends or family, according to the 2006
National Survey on Drug Use and Health, the largest survey on
substance abuse in the country with about 70,000 participants.

According to another survey, the 2005 National Survey on Drug Use and
Health, there are 14.6 million current marijuana users and 6.4
million prescription drug abusers, with most prescription drug
abusers using painkillers such as Vicodin. Cocaine ranked third, with
2.4 million current users.

The same survey found the annual average number of new abusers of
prescription pain relievers was 2.4 million, edging out the 2.1
million new users of marijuana.

Al Gore III, 24, was driving about 100 mph (160 kph) on the San Diego
Freeway in California when he was pulled over Wednesday. He was
arrested on suspicion of illegally possessing marijuana and
prescription drugs. While a student at Harvard University, he was
arrested in 2003 for marijuana possession.

Prosecutors in California said Thursday they have until Aug. 1 to
decide whether to file charges against Gore's son.

Former Vice President Al Gore said Thursday his son is getting treatment.

"We're very happy that he's sought and is getting the treatment that
he needs," Gore said on CNN's "Larry King Live" Thursday. "And beyond
that, we appreciate the good wishes that have come our way."

The drugs police say they found when they searched the young Gore's
car are commonly found on campus, according to experts.

Vicodin, a brand name for acetaminophen and hydrocodone, is a
painkiller that works by attaching to opioid receptors in the brain;
it can be addictive and can bring on a feeling of euphoria when
abused. Xanax (alprazolam) and Valium (diazepam) are both used to
treat anxiety and can cause withdrawal symptoms when stopped
suddenly; they produce feelings of relaxation or drowsiness.

Adderall (dextroamphetamine and amphetamine) is used to treat
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and can cause sudden death
or serious heart problems, especially if misused. Students crush and
snort it to get a fast rush or swallow the pills to stay awake for a
late night of studying.

Abuse of Adderall and other prescription stimulants is more common on
college campuses than among young adults not attending college, experts say.

A study published in the medical journal Addiction in 2005 found that
rates of abuse of prescription stimulants including Adderall were
higher at northeastern colleges and schools with more competitive
admission standards. About 4 percent of college students in that
study reported non-medical use of prescription stimulants in the past year.

Al Gore III's arrest may raise awareness among parents, Misch said.

"This is an opportunity for people to understand this is happening in
your household," he said. "These are your kids. The drug dealers
they're going to are their doctors, their parents and their friends."

On the Net:

Office of National Drug Control Policy: http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov

How to find treatment: http://dasis3.samhsa.gov/