Prescription Pill Abuse Still a Problem Amongst Teens

Reporter%2C+Sandra+Maciak%2C+with+guest+speakers+Ms.+Egan+and+Ms.+Watts+of+Rosecrance+Rehabilitation+Center

Reporter, Sandra Maciak, with guest speakers Ms. Egan and Ms. Watts of Rosecrance Rehabilitation Center

High school is known as a time to experiment. It’s a time for teenagers to find themselves, find their friends, and make their own decisions. Unfortunately, today’s youth seems to take many of these opportunities and responsibilities for granted.

A huge factor in today’s society that is causing mayhem and destruction in the lives of many adolescents is prescription drugs. More and more teens are scrounging in their parents’, grandparents’, or other family members’ medicine cabinets looking for prescription medications to abuse.  Whether it be Adderall to help “concentrate on their work” or Vicodin to “relax”, it is more common now in today’s society for students to lean on prescription pills to manage the stress that accompanies high school and to escape sobriety and get high. For some, feeling the “buzz”, no matter how much it might hurt later, is worth it because for that one moment you feel infinite.

Although Leyden hasn’t had any cases of fatalities, more stories are coming out about students not only heavily abusing these prescription medications, but also selling and distributing them illegally inside and outside of school. The consequences could include physical health issues, legal repercussions, and life long addictions as pain medications are often a gateway to many different drugs, including heroin.

The legal repercussions included if you are found with certain pain medications without a prescription from a doctor can result in felony charges with a class 4 felony offense. Punishments can include one to three years in jail, house arrests, or rehabilitation.

The dangers that surround prescription medication are many. Thankfully, there is help out there. Many organizations exist that focus on helping people get better and overcome their drug abuse.

Prescription pills are not always easy to obtain, and they can be very expensive. In this interview, our guest speaker Ms. Egan from Rosecrance Health Network talks about the dangers of falling into other drugs, such as heroin, because of its availability and cheaper cost.

Teens believe that they will live forever, that they are invincible. When speaking to Ms. Watts, she mentions that the most common misconception that exists among teens when talking about prescription pills is that they are not addictive. They believe that if they wanted to, they could stop at any time and if it’s prescribed to someone else that they’re not susceptible to addiction. However, if you are abusing or misusing these prescription drugs you are in fact able to become addicted.

If you need help or know someone who does, please make sure to stop by the counselors’ or social workers’ office for more information.

One of these organizations, a private and non-profit  organization, named Rosecrance is a dedicated service that offers behavioral health services for children, teens, adults and families throughout the U.S. Through a variety of programs, Rosecrance provides efficient, effective, and high-quality programs for their patients.

Rosecrance is associated with the HIPPA which is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, which enforces strict rules of confidentiality, and patient information is only shared with authorized people.

Each day through the program, patients are made sure to feel welcome and at home. Through various activities and counseling sessions, the staff at Rosecrance does their best to meet the needs of their patience and get them to the place in their life that they want to be.

In this interview, information about prescription drugs and the rehabilitation process will be explained by Rosecrance staff members.