Numbers Abusing Prescription Drugs Swiftly Rising in U.S.
by Mary Rettig
July 27, 2005
(AgapePress) - A new study from the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse reports that teenagers across the U.S. are abusing prescription drugs in increasing numbers. A spokesman for the Christian Medical & Dental Associations says there are several possible explanations for the growth of this phenomenon.Psychiatrist Dr. Robert Rogan of the CMDA believes more teens may be abusing prescription drugs because these pharmaceuticals may offer the illusion of greater safety. He says teens may see prescription drugs as safer alternatives to street drugs since the latter usually come in a clean bottle from a medicine cabinet or from a friend.
Also, Rogan observes, prescription drugs are extremely accessible to kids, whether they get them from their friends, from a neighbor down the street, or from their parents' own medicine cabinet. And as alarming as the rise in abuse of these prescribed medications can be, he adds, the illegitimate ways some people acquire them can be even more shocking.
"We had one situation in one of the places where I worked," the doctor recollects, "where a neighbor of this patient called in and said, 'Hey, look -- do you know that Mrs. So-and-so is selling Xanax for five dollars a pill?' Of course, we're thinking Mrs. So-and-so just got her prescription filled here last week because she has all these panic attacks. And we realized we'd been deceived."
But the higher rates of prescription drug abuse could also be related to a spiritual root cause, Rogan points out -- namely, a lack of trust in God. "If you look at it from a spiritual point of view, people are trying to replace faith and God's character-building experiences with a pill," he says.
"I mean, one of the things in our lives that God uses to build character is trials and tribulations," the Christian physician continues. "But if you can get hold of a pill to take away the anxiety-producing effect of trials and tribulations, you can get out of experiences that build character."
Whatever means young people use to obtain controlled pharmaceuticals that have not been prescribed for them, they are risking their health and even their lives by taking these drugs. Rogan calls for vigilance, not only on the part of parents, teachers, and youth workers, but also among doctors and pharmacists.
Parents need to be aware of their children's activities, Rogan says, and they need to talk to their young people about the dangers of abusing prescription drugs. Meanwhile, he adds, medical and health-care professionals need to be wary of adult patients who go "doctor shopping" to get multiple prescriptions.
Mary Rettig, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
