Entrenched Threat Prescription and OTC Medicine Abuse Behavior

Entrenched Threat: Prescription and OTC Medicine Abuse Behavior

Who we are Mission: Dedicated to helping parents prevent, intervene in, and treat drug / alcohol use by their children in order to reduce use Ethos: Objective, independent, uncompromising integrity, accountable to the American public Competencies: Responsible for the single largest research-based public education campaign and web resource in the nation’s history that has helped cut drug use by teens and increase parent involvement Research: Created PATS an annual national study on drug use and underlying attitudes (21 st year). Also innovative studies on Rx abuse and parenting Essence: Private sector nonprofit coalition uniting parents, renowned scientists, and communication professionals. Launched in 1986

Science & Research Treatment Research Institute University of Pennsylvania + Parents’ Needs, Experience, Support + Communications & Technology Partnership for a Drug-Free America A Partnership for Parents

Kids who learn a lot about the risks of drugs from their parents are up to 50% less likely to use.

Drug Use Starts Early • Average of first use is 13 years old • By end of 8 th grade, 1 out have tried an illicit drug of 5 kids • Every day 4, 000 teens try an illicit drug for the first time

Trends in Substance Abuse Among 8 th Graders % 26 21 Alcohol 15 Cigarettes Illegal Drugs Source: Monitoring the Future Study; Past Month Use Institute of Social Research, University of Michigan vs. ‘ 96 17 -35% 7 7 -67% -47%

Lifetime Trial Marijuana Rx Medicines Inhalants Crack/ Cocaine Cough Ecstasy Medicine LSD Ketamine Meth GHB Heroin Source: 2008 Partnership Attitude Tracking Study, 6, 518 teens in grades 7 through 12 New Tier of Abuse PATS 21 st annual wave. Study tracks elaborate and complex attitudes teens and parents have about substance abuse.

The New Landscape 8. 1 million Marijuana Inhalants 4. 7 million Prescription Medicine 4. 7 million Cough Medicine Crack/Cocaine Ecstasy 2. 5 million 2. 3 million 2. 1 million LSD 1. 6 million Meth 1. 5 million Ketamine 1. 2 million Heroin 1. 1 million GHB 1 million Source: 2008 Partnership Attitude Tracking Study (PATS) Teens, 6, 518 teens in grades 7 through 12

Rx/OTC Products Abused • • Rx pain medications Rx stimulants Rx tranquilizers/sedatives OTC cough/cold We must address the behavior of intentionally abusing medicines

Key Factors Driving Rx Abuse • Misperception that abusing medicine is not dangerous (safer than “street drugs”) • Ease of access via medicine cabinets at home (#1) or friend’s house, other person’s prescriptions Source: Partnership Attitude Tracking Study

Teen perceptions of safety

Oxycodone • Brand name: Oxycontin • Intended Use: Long-acting narcotic pain reliever used to treat moderate to severe chronic pain • Effects if Abused: Slowed breathing and heartbeat, dizziness and fainting, tremors, muscle weakness, drowsiness or loss of consciousness.

Hydrocodone • Brand names: Vicodin, Lortab, Lorcet • Intended Use: Narcotic pain reliever used to treat moderate pain; also a cough suppressant • Effects if Abused: Vomiting, slow breathing, slow heartbeat, unusual sweating, chills, loss of consciousness

Diazepam • Brand Name: Valium • Intended Use: Used to treat anxiety and seizures, relieve muscle spasms and as a sedative during medical procedures • Effects if Abused: Severe drowsiness, slow reflexes, slow and shallow breathing, fainting

Temazepam • Brand Name: Restoril • Intended Use: Used for short-term treatment of insomnia • Effects if Abused: Slow breathing, slurred speech, or a deep sleep from which you cannot be awakened.

Alprazolam • Brand Name: Xanax • Intended Use: Used to treat anxiety and panic attacks. • Effects if Abused: Severe drowsiness, loss of consciousness

Doxylamine • Brand Names: Unisom, Medi-sleep • Intended Use: Over-the-counter antihistamine used to treat insomnia and relieve cold and cough symptoms • Effects if Abused: Extreme drowsiness, loss of coordination, seizures, hallucinations

Our teens…. 1: 5 have abused Rx 1: 10 have abused OTC What is the potential for the problem to get worse?

Users (past year) Vulnerable • 508 interviews, half boys, half girls • 249 interviews 13 -15 year olds • 259 interviews 16 -18 year olds Non-Users Discriminant Function Analysis to determine what other groups most closely correspond to Prescription Pain Reliever users. Teens who have similar attitudes as users.

Heroin HIGH RISK Cocaine Methamphetamine Crack Ecstasy LSD Ketamine PCP DXM GHB Rohypnol Oxy. Contin Tylox Mescaline Valium Psilocybin Peyote Steroids (Anabolic) Percodan Lortab Vicodin Dexedrine Librium Cleaning fluids Gasoline Aerosol sprays Hard Liquor Xanax Darvon Rx drugs (No Rx) Cigarettes Andro Hashish Dilaudid Marijuana Rx pain relievers (No Rx) Glue Beer/ Wine Creatine Adderall/ Ritalin Cold and Cough Pain relievers you buy Cough Syrup Caffeine TOTAL DIFFICULT TO GET

Tylox HIGH RISK Cleaning fluids Aerosol sprays Gasoline Glue Cigarettes Heroin Cocaine Methamphetamine Crack Ecstasy Ketamine LSDPCP Rohypnol Oxy. Contin Xanax GHB Librium. Peyote DXM Percodan Lortab Dexedrine Mescaline Vicodin Darvon Rx drugs (No Rx) Valium Steroids (Anabolic) Rx pain relievers (No Rx) Andro Psilocybin Dilaudid Hashish Hard Liquor Adderall/ Ritalin Pain relievers you buy Beer/ Wine Cold and Cough Marijuana Cough Syrup Caffeine Creatine VULNERABLES DIFFICULT TO GET

HIGH RISK Crack Methamphetamine DXM Ecstasy LSD Cocaine PCP Ketamine GHB Oxy. Contin Rohypnol Psilocybin Gasoline Heroin Mescaline Steroids (Anabolic) Vicodin Librium. Dilaudid Cleaning fluids Aerosol sprays Lortab Valium Dexedrine Hashish Tylox Xanax Darvon Rx pain relievers (No Rx) Rx drugs (No Rx) Percodan Andro Peyote Glue. Hard Liquor Cigarettes Pain relievers you buy Creatine Beer/ Wine Cold and Cough Adderall/ Ritalin Marijuana Cough Syrup Caffeine DIFFICULT TO GET PAST YEAR USERS

Few Parents Are Acting On Rx/OTC Medicine Abuse Parents do not think their teen is vulnerable to Rx/OTC abuse Parents do not understand the behavior of intentionally abusing medicine to get high Parents think that if their teen did abuse medicines it would not be as dangerous as “street drugs” Source: Partnership Focus Group Studies

Teen motivations for abusing Rx… Base: Rx Trier (155) 21. For each of the substances that you tried in the past, please think about the MAIN reason you used that substance or drug. First think about [INSERT FIRST DRUG]]. Which ONE of the following reasons best describes the main reason that you used [DRUG]?

A more nuanced view of motivation

It’s about “regulating” life

Physical regulation

Mental regulation

“Experience”

“Identity”

The teen cost / benefit analysis

Where do Rx drugs fit in the progression of use?

An addition, not a replacement

What Can Parents Do? Educate themselves about Rx/OTC Communicate the risks Safeguard medications Stay Involved + Intervene early Communicate their love, concern, and disapproval of any drug use.

www. drugfree. org steve_pasierb@drugfree. org