A national study in the USA has found that one in four teens have misused or abused prescription medications at least once in their lifetime. This is an increase of 33% in the last five years alone.
The research, which was run with data from The Partnership Attitude Tracking Study or PATS shows that 13% of teens report taking Ritalin or Adderall without a prescription.
“This data makes it very clear: the problem is real, the threat immediate and the situation is not poised to get better,” said Steve Pasierb, president and CEO of The Partnership at Drugfree.org.
“Parents fear drugs like cocaine or heroin and want to protect their kids. But the truth is that when misused and abused, medicines — especially stimulants and opioids — can be every bit as dangerous and harmful as illicit street drugs.”
A big part of the problem may be caused by ill-informed parents. Research indicates that almost one third of parents believe prescription stimulants like Adderall and Ritalin can help students study even if they are not prescribed and the child does not have ADHD.
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