Teens raiding medicine cabinets

[grace]

Teens raiding medicine cabinets

CLAIR WEAVER

September 14, 2008 12:00am

news.com

http://www.news.com.au/mercury/story/0,228...435-921,00.html

 

ALMOST one in four teenagers raid their parents' medicine cabinets for prescription drugs in a new trend dubbed "pharming".

 

Australian youths aged 12 to 17 are most likely to take medications recreationally because they are cheaper, easier to obtain and mistakenly believed to be "safe", a new study has revealed.

 

In a risky bid to maximise their "hit", they are crushing cocktails of pills and snorting the powder, mixing them with alcohol or even injecting. Drug experts warn most young people genuinely don't realise experimental pill-popping is dangerous and can be fatal.

 

Pharmaceutical medicines have now overtaken marijuana as the traditional teen drug of choice, with more than double as many regular users.

 

Commonly abused drugs can include anti-depressants, painkillers and ADHD medications such as dexamphetamines or Ritalin taken from parents, friends or relatives.

 

In some cases, prescription drugs have been traded in school playgrounds or medicine cabinets raided for teen parties.

 

In a new study of 2813 young Australians, researchers said the "most concerning" finding was that 23.5 per cent of 12 to 25-year-olds took prescription drugs recreationally.

 

"Everyone knows someone who can get hold of prescription drugs -- painkillers from mum's bathroom cabinet, Ritalin from the little brothers with ADD," a 13-year-old study participant said.

 

"Some call it pharming; they're cheap and must be safe -- I mean doctors give them to kids."

 

The experts are worried that up to 24.9 per cent of 12 to 14-year-olds are likely to take prescription drugs recreationally.

 

"The alarmingly high percentage highlights the need for further investigation and awareness-raising of the dangers associated with this practice," researchers said.

 

In contrast, only 9 per cent of young participants in the South Australian study had taken cannabis in the past month.

 

Paul Dillon, of Drug and Alcohol Research and Training Australia, said young people commonly believed if a drug came from a doctor it was safe.

 

"It's very much experimentation -- like 'wouldn't it be cool to experiment with drugs?' -- it's not thought out" Mr Dillon said.

 

"I think that's why it is so scary , , , it tends to be quite naive kids experimenting."

 

A Queensland teenager died after snorting a mixture of crushed up pharmaceutical drugs at a party two years ago.

[Mr Biggles]

clair weaver - epic fail

[Zaknefain]

OH NO!

 

I guess we have to ban pharmasueticals aswell.

That shouldn't cost more than 5 billion a year.

[nici]

Australian youths aged 12 to 17 are most likely to take medications recreationally because they are cheaper, easier to obtain and mistakenly believed to be "safe", a new study has revealed.

 

WHAT??? When did this "easier to obtain" happen?

[samboo]

Teens raiding medicine cabinets

CLAIR WEAVER

September 14, 2008 12:00am

news.com

http://www.news.com.au/mercury/story/0,228...435-921,00.html

 

 

 

In a new study of 2813 young Australians, researchers said the "most concerning" finding was that 23.5 per cent of 12 to 25-year-olds took prescription drugs recreationally.

 

The experts are worried that up to 24.9 per cent of 12 to 14-year-olds are likely to take prescription drugs recreationally.

 

amazing.

a 13 year span ranging from childhood to adulthood and they're trying to pin this on 12-14 year olds.

 

This is why i dont watch/read the news. Have to wade through all the bullshit