Motivation + access > perceived risk
What motivates teens to engage in prescription drug abuse? Ultimately, their desire for getting high outweighs their perception of the risks.
- 12 to 17 year olds abuse prescription drugs more than they abuse ecstasy, crack/cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine combined
- 60% of teens who have abused prescription painkillers did so before age 15
- There are as many new abusers age 12 to 17 of prescription drugs as there are of marijuana
Every day, 2,500 teenagers use a prescription drug to get high for the first time.
They're accessing these drugs in the comfort of home; it can be as easy as opening a cupboard, drawer, or medicine cabinet.
The good news - there are steps you can take to help protect your kids from prescription drug abuse: monitor, secure
and dispose. This site, created by Abbott and The Partnership for a Drug-Free America, shows you how.