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Prescription Drug Awareness!. Our Goals. Familiarize with commonly abused meds Inform about the hazards of addiction and abuse Provide convincing statistics Increase awareness of the world of medications. General Statistics. 1 in 5 teenagers report having abused a prescription medication
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Our Goals • Familiarize with commonly abused meds • Inform about the hazards of addiction and abuse • Provide convincing statistics • Increase awareness of the world of medications
General Statistics • 1 in 5 teenagers report having abused a prescription medication • Over 2500 teenagers a day experiment with prescription medications taken from the home • In 2009 in the United States about 21% of high school students have taken prescription drugs without a prescription Taken from WHO
UCI Statistics: Did You Know? • Do you know a UCI student who has taken prescription A.D.D./A.D.H.D. drugs that were not intended for him/her? • Freshman: 52% Sophomores: 36% Juniors: 47% Seniors: 58% • Do you know someone who has required the aid of rehab services due to any prescription drug abuse? • Freshman: 18% Sophomores: 14% Juniors: 22% Seniors: 15% • Do you know someone who has died due to any prescription drug abuse? • Freshman: 6% Sophomores: 5% Juniors: 8% Seniors: 6%
Addiction and Abuse: Definitions • Addiction: physical and psychological dependence on a substance • “Disease of brain reward” • Abuse: use of prescription drugs that were not prescribed by a physician or used only for the experience or feeling they cause • Also called drug misuse
Pain Killers (Often Opioids) • Binds to opioid receptors in NS and GI tract • Decreased perception, decreased reaction, and increased tolerance to pain • HIGHLY abused • Morphine, hydrocodone,codiene, oxycodone, fentanyl, propoxyphene, tramadol
Vicodin (hydrocodone) • Vicodin is a combination of hydrocodone and acetaminophen (Tylenol) • Cheap and overly prescribed (easy to obtain) • Americans spend over $484 billion annually in vicodin addictions. • Vicodin use and addiction is linked to at least half of the major crimes in the US • ~10-22% of car crashes involve drivers who use drugs such as Vicodin (NHTSA) • Vicodin addiction showcased in popular television series House
Antidepressants/Anxiety • Mostly SSRIs and SNRIs • Inhibit the reuptake of serotonin/ norepinephrine for repeated receptor stimulation • Sertraline, escitalopram, fluoxetine, paroxetine, buproprion
Zoloft (sertraline) • Used to treat major depression as well as OCD and anxiety disorders • Overly prescribed, easy for teenagers to steal from parents • Risk of dependency, suicide, reduced libido
Amphetamines/Psychostimulants • Affect levels of dopamine in the brain • “study drugs”: enhances focus, concentration, attentiveness, confidence, self-esteem • Heavily misused by students • Adderall, vyvanse, desoxyn, ritalin
Adderall (amphetamine salts) • Prescribed for ADHD and narcolepsy • Side effects: greatly increases bp, decreased appetite, akathisia, amphetamine psychosis (heavy abuse) • Performance-enhancing use • Weight-loss use • High risk of dependency
Ritalin (methylphenidate) • Also prescribed for ADHD and narcolepsy • Extensive side effects; hypersensitivity, dyskinesia, tachycardia • High potential for abuse and addiction • Abuse highest among college students (study longer, party longer)
Prevention • Medical lock boxes for home use to prevent unauthorized access to prescription drugs • Doesn’t fix anything; EDUCATE teens about the perils of abuse
Keep in Mind • Misuse of these drugs is illegal and will result in imprisonment and fines (varying severity) • Many harmful drug interactions; makes abuse even more hazardous • Abuse is widespread; hospital, dentistry, pharmacy
Check out our video! • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9FN2Do4uoM