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The good news is that teens are turning away from street drugs. While this is true, there’s a new threat from the family medicine cabinet – the abuse of prescription (Rx) and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, in 2008, there were 2.5 million people, aged 12 or older who used prescription medicines non-medically for the first time within the past year, averaging out to around 7,000 new users per day. And according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s Monitoring the Future Survey, 4 percent of 8th graders, 5 percent of 10th graders, and 7 percent of 12th graders reported having abused medicines containing the cough suppressant DXM in 2005 to get high. The Partnership for a Drug-Free America found that one in 10 teenagers – or about 2.4 million young people –reported having abused cough medicine to get high.
Parents and caregivers are the first line of defense in addressing these troubling trends. That’s where community coalitions come in. CADCA and its partner, the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA), have been instrumental in creating and developing prevention and intervention activities and materials that help community coalitions address Rx and OTC drug abuse. We recommend that coalitions:
Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America
625 Slaters Lane Suite 300 Alexandria, VA 22314
Tel 1-800-54-CADCA Fax 703-706-0565
