Prescription Drugs

November 20, 2008

ByGiedre Laurinaitis

Quinn KolarMitch Ramask

Alex Speath

Which is more

dangerous?

You could end up here either way

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QY6Uo2Z9dVM

!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWmuxLLu3D0

Prescription Drug Abuse

How can we help inform teens about the dangers of prescription drug abuse and help prevent them

from becoming addicted?

What are they?

• Drugs with an accepted medical use that can be prescribed by a licensed medical practitioner.

• All of these drugs fall into the Schedule II through Schedule V categories of the U.S. Controlled Substance Act

• Their potency varies by what schedule they are placed in, their dose, and what specific chemical composure it is made up of

Schedule: What Is It?

• A classification that divides drugs into categories from I through V.

• This classification is based on several factors such as their potential for addiction, any harmful side effects they have, and their potential for addiction

• Schedule I drugs are currently illegal in the United States under any circumstances, therefore they will not be discussed in this presentation as they are not considered prescription drugs.

Schedule II

• Schedule II drugs are prescription drugs considered to be highly dangerous and addictive. Furthermore, it includes all legal derivatives of else specified illegal drugs such as PCP or amphetamines.

• Some of the drugs in this category include: Codeine, Morphine, Opium extracts, Oxycodone, Powdered opium all of which are heavy opiates. It furthermore includes several other opiates, stimulants and depressants

Schedule III

• Schedule III drugs are mostly the same drugs as in Schedule III only in less powerful and potent concentrations.

• It also includes anabolic steroids unless they are to be specifically listed in any other schedules beside Schedule III

• Schedule III also contains several legally specified uses for the hallucinogenic drug gamma hydroxybutyric acid, more commonly known as GHB.

Schedule IV & V• Some of the drugs listed in schedule IV and V are

simply extremely low doses of drugs, or combinations thereof, present in Schedules II and III

• Also listed in Schedules IV and V are more common drugs for the treatment of minor aliments. These substances include commonly known drugs such as: Diazepam (Valium), Chlordiazepoxide (Librium), Flurazepam (Dalmadorm) or Zolpidem (Ambien)

• These drugs still require a prescription and are not available over the counter.

Prescription

• To possess any of the drugs listed, a signed prescription signed by a licensed and practicing Physician is required. this can then be taken to a pharmacy to obtain the drugs.

• Even with a prescription there are still limitations on the possession of these drugs. For example Schedule II drugs can only be prescribed in amounts lasting the patient for thirty days. Also they cant be refilled, to get more a new prescription is required.

How Prescription Drugs are Illegally Obtained

• Most illegally used prescription drugs come from one of three major sources. These sources are mainly split between teens and adults.

• Most teens obtain their drugs from their parents. For example if the parents have a bottle of painkillers prescribed for a injury the teens may steal a few. Also if there is an old bottle of drugs that are not needed anymore the teen may take some of those. This is a reason to watch your medication and dispose of any old bottles of medication.

Adults• Most adults obtain their abused prescription drugs in

one of two ways:• The first is by going to several different doctors and

obtaining multiple prescriptions at once. Even though they are getting prescriptions for the drugs, it is still considered abuse.

• There are also online pharmacies that sell these drugs without even requiring a prescription. These online pharmacies are also popular with kids because they do not ask for a proof that the buyer is older than 18.

Now, for some ……….

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• In 2006, 16.2 million Americans age 12 and older had taken a prescription drug for nonmedical uses. A study in 2007 showed that about 4% of 8th graders, 11% of 10th graders, and 14% of 12th graders had abused a prescription drug at least once in the past year.

• In 2000, 43 percent (almost a half-million) of those who ended up in hospital emergency rooms from drug overdoses were there because of misusing prescription drugs.

“Pharm” Parties

• No that is not a typo!• Pharm Parties are where people get together

and do prescription drugs.• At Pharm Parties “Trail mix”, no not the kind

you find in stores, is passed around. • Trail mix is a combination of all the pills

people brought to the pharm party

Pharm Parties; They can’t be that dangerous?

Wrong!

Just because the drugs done at Pharm Parties are prescribed by a doctor does not make them them less dangerous!

In fact, Trail Mix is often more dangerous because you do not know what you are taking. The combination of drugs can be deadly!

What not to do….

Don’t take medicine if it’s not yoursDon’t be at a party where illegal pills are being

consumedDon’t think that prescription drugs are safeDon’t share your medicine with anyoneDon’t take random pills without knowing what

they are…..

To sum it all up….

• Prescription drugs are just as if not more dangerous that street drugs

• Having prescription drugs without a prescription is illegal

• Prescription drugs are strong enough to kill• Taking illegal prescription drugs can and will

lead down a road of self destruction

Prevention Starts with Information

By being informed you can spread the word about prescription drug abuse.

If everyone in this room today told 10 of their friends about the dangers of prescription drugs abuse and their friends told 10 of their friends soon we could reach a huge portion of our community!

So please …

Help Protect your friends from Prescription Drug Abuse

Works Cited

• http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/prescriptiondrugabuse.html

• http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/21cfr/cfr/2108cfrt.htm

• http://www.theantidrug.com/drug_info/prescription_drugs.asp

• www.youtube.com • www.google.com/images

Works Cited Continued

• http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/story?id=1726349&page=1

• http://johnibii.wordpress.com/2008/03/10/teen-prescription-drug-abuse-alarm

• http://www.drug-rehabs.org/prescription-drug-abuse.htm

• http://www.nida.nih.gov/DrugPages/prescription.html

• www.fda.gov

Works Cited Continued

• www.drugabuse.org• www.drugfree.org• www.streetdrugs.org• www.theantidrug.com• www.thepillsafe.com