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Please remember that prescription medicines, when used correctly and under a doctor’s supervision, are safe and effective. Most students use prescription drugs Additional Resources properly, but nearly one in five teens Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services reports abusing them to get high. Administration (SAMHSA) SAMHSA’s Health Information Network (SHIN) By their sophomore year in college, 1-877-SAMHSA-7 (1-877-726-4727) about half of all students have been www.SAMHSA.gov/shin What do educators offered the opportunity to abuse a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) prescription drug. Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) need to know 240-276-2750 www.csat.samhsa.gov SAMHSA’s National Helpline Consider these facts: 800-662-HELP (800-662-4357) (Toll-Free) (English and Spanish) 800-487-4889 (TDD) (Toll-Free) ■■ Teens are engaging in dangerous activities, such Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator: as crushing pills, then snorting or injecting their 240-276-2548 contents. They also combine them with alcohol or www.samhsa.gov/treatment illicit drugs. At “pharming parties,” they may dump You care about your students, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) a variety of drugs in a bowl and take them without www.nida.nih.gov/parent-teacher.html and you know them as well as knowing what they are. National Council on Patient Information and anyone. But did you know that Education (NCPIE) ■■ Teens most commonly abuse pain relievers (e.g., 301-656-8565 OxyContin® and Vicodin®), stimulants (e.g., Ritalin® www.talkaboutrx.org while rates of drug abuse are and Adderall®), and sedatives and tranquilizers Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) down overall, more and more (e.g., Valium® and Xanax®). www.getsmartaboutdrugs.com teens are abusing prescription National Association of School Nurses (NASN) ■■ It is surprisingly easy for teens to gain access 240-821-1130 drugs today? to prescription drugs from their families’ medicine www.nasn.org LESSON cabinets, a friend’s purse, and even a : schoolmate’s locker! AN IMPORTANT This brochure was prepared under contract number 270-03-9001 through the Office of Consumer Affairs helping students avoid prescription drug abuse ■■ Young people sometimes illegally order controlled in the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), prescription drugs from illegal Web sites. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. SMA # 09-4446 Many teens—and adults, too—have What should I remind my How can I help? carefree attitudes toward the use of students to do? Speak to your students about prescription drug prescription drugs. People ages 12 abuse—do not presume that illegal drugs are the ■■ Respect the power of medicine and use it properly. to 25 have among the highest rates only threat. of prescription drug abuse. ■■ Recognize that all medicines, including prescription Alert parents if you are concerned about their child. drugs, have risks along with benefits. The risks tend Let parents know what they can do. A brochure for to increase dramatically when medicines are abused. parents, “Talking to your kids about prescription drug abuse,” is available at www.talkaboutrx.org. How can I understand What do teens not always realize? ■■ Take responsibility for learning how to take prescription drugs safely and appropriately. Seek “Generation Rx”? Provide a safe and open environment for your ■■ Abusing prescription drugs, even if they are help at the first sign of their own or a friend’s problem. prescribed by a doctor, is not safer than abusing students to talk about abuse issues. Empathize with People ages 12 to 25 have among the highest rates of illegal drugs. the stresses of growing up and identify positive prescription drug abuse. Parents and others often outlets that can help relieve teens’ stress, such underestimate teens’ abuse of prescription drugs. ■■ Misusing prescription drugs can lead to addiction. as sports teams and youth groups. Teens may have carefree attitudes about prescription drug abuse and be unaware of the serious and potentially ■■ Using prescription drugs without a doctor’s Hold interactive discussions with your students life-threatening risks. prescription or abusing someone else’s to dispel myths and give them the facts. prescriptions—or your own—is always harmful, not to mention illegal. Help your students understand Why do kids abuse Encourage students to speak with you or prescription drug abuse—whether prescription drugs? another faculty member if they suspect a friend may How do I recognize the signs of you are a health teacher or simply have a problem. A brochure for teens, “Prescription prescription drug abuse? ■■ They are seeking psychological or physical pleasure. drugs: They can help but also hurt,” is available at work closely with students as an www.talkaboutrx.org. ■■ Decreased or obsessive interest in school work athletic coach, mentor, or guidance ■■ They do not understand the risks of taking drugs that were not prescribed specifically for them. They counselor. Take even just a moment Be observant about discussions students may also fail to realize the danger of mixing prescription ■■ Fatigue, red or glazed eyes, and repeated have in the hallways about prescription drug abuse. drugs with alcohol, other prescription drugs, and health complaints to have a brief conversation in the If you hear misconceptions, join in to correct them illegal drugs. hallways or locker room. Remind and show your support. ■■ Sudden mood changes, including irritability, ■■ It is easier to get prescription drugs than illegal drugs. negative attitude, personality changes, and general your students that you are lack of interest in extracurricular activities there to help. ■■ There is pressure to get better grades or to fit in with friends. They also may not be aware of other, positive ■■ An extreme change in groups of friends or alternatives to help them deal with stress. hangout locations