Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention
Abuse of prescription drugs to get high has become increasingly prevalent among teens and young adults. Past year abuse of prescription pain killers now ranks second—only behind marijuana—as the Nation's most prevalent illegal drug problem. More
What are some trends in prescription drug abuse?
A number of national studies and published reports indicate that
the intentional abuse of prescription drugs, such as pain relievers,
tranquilizers, stimulants and sedatives, to get high is a growing
concern particularly among teens.
How
should prescription drugs be disposed of?
Unless the label instructs differently, unused prescription drugs
should be disposed of in the trash.
- Read more about the proper disposal of unused or expired medicine
- View a clip (Quicktime, 55 sec.) demonstrating one way to properly dispose of prescription drugs.
What are some facts and statistics about prescription drug abuse?
There are three classes of prescription drugs that are most commonly
abused:
- opioids such as codeine, oxycodone, and morphine;
- central nervous system (CNS) depressants such as barbiturates and benzodiazepines;
- stimulants such as dextroamphetamine and methylphenidate
More Prescription Drugs Facts & Figures
How can I report the illegal sales of prescription drugs?
The DEA has a toll-free international hotline to report the illegal
sale and abuse of prescription drugs: 1-877-RxAbuse (1-877-792-2873).
The illegal sale of drugs on the Internet or in e-mails can
be reported to the following agencies: Internet
Crime Complaint Center (IC3), Drug
Enforcement Administration (DEA) Diversion Control Program, and
the Food
and Drug Administration (FDA).
Link to this page
Help us spread the word about the harms of prescription drug abuse.
Find out how
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