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Drug Information

Prescription Drug Abuse Testimonials

Teens in treatment

In 2008, more than 2.1 million teens abused prescription drugs.1 Abusing these drugs can lead to addiction. Between 1995 and 2005, treatment admissions for abuse of prescription painkillers grew more than 300 percent.2 As more teens across the country are entering substance abuse treatment, they report taking these drugs because they are easy to access at home and other places and can be cheaper than street drugs.

Listen to four teens who participated in teen treatment programs for prescription drug abuse. Sara, Jessica, Nick, and Jordan discuss their struggles with prescription drug abuse and explain how they started using, where they found the drugs, how they hid their drug use from their parents, and how they viewed prescription drugs as a "safe" high.

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  1. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration [SAMHSA]. Thank you for visiting theantidrug.com. You are now leaving the site. The Office of National Drug Control Policy is not responsible for the content or information gathering practices of other websites you are linking to. (2009).
    National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2008
  2. Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) 2005. Thank you for visiting theantidrug.com. You are now leaving the site. The Office of National Drug Control Policy is not responsible for the content or information gathering practices of other websites you are linking to.