School Children Abusing OTC & Prescription Drugs

Are Getting High & Drug Selling New Lessons Students Learn at Home?

Aug 2, 2009

Kids Sell Legal Drugs for Money, Anna Cervova

Teens & kids are getting high on legal drugs found at home. Some are selling to make money, perhaps even to help out at home. Do parents recognize the legal drug abuse?

Not many people would be surprised to learn that teens and kids are getting high from drugs found in the family medicine cabinet. Getting high is only part of the problem, however. Teenagers and children are not just taking the medicine at dangerous levels; they're selling legal drugs to other kids, too.

What Legal Drugs are Popular with Teens and Kids?

The number of legal drugs on the market has risen sharply since the turn of the century, so choosing a means to get high is about as simple as making a choice in a candy store. Young people are giving cute slang names to prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs and medications. A lot of parents have no clue what the slang terms mean and many are not taking enough of an interest to find out.

What legal drugs are attractive to teens and kids? Listed here is a very short sample of the hundreds of home medications kids can use to get high.

Ritalin and Adderall. Kids refer to these as "Jif," Skippy," "Vitamin R," or "R-Ball." The drugs are stimulants and have been popular among college students for years. Now teens and younger kids are crushing and snorting the pills, using them as an appetite suppressant or to stay awake.
Oxycontin. Slang names: "Cotton" or "Oxy". Crushed tablets are snorted to get a sense of euphoria.
Cough syrups. Labels that have DM or tussin in the name mean the contents include dextromethorphan (DXM). Taken in an excess amount, the drug can make the user high. The term "robo-tripping" is common among kids, and so are the slang names "Vitamin D" and "Orange Crush".
Vicodin. The slang term used for the painkillers is "Vikes".
Cough and cold tablets. Kids refer to them as "Skittles" or "Red Devils". These are dangerous when used in excess, especially when they contain dextromethorphan (DXM).

Parents are advised to listen for terms that might indicate interest in legal drugs or potential drug use – names like "Christmas Trees," "Oranges," "Red Dolls," and "Strawberries," just to name a few more legal drugs that can be lethal if abused.

Kids and teens believe that drugs prescribed by a doctor or purchased from a grocery store are harmless. In a special report published by Family Circle magazine, titled " Hard Candy" (July 08, page 46), author Richard Laliberte emphasizes the rising danger of home drug abuse by stating, "Deaths from accidental overdoses of such medications ... have increased 113% among youth 15 and older in recent years ..." Laliberte goes on to add, "And kids are washing down all those pills with a potent new crop of fruit-flavored, caffeinated drinks with names like Spark and Joose, some of which contain nearly 10% alcohol."

Teens and Kids Sell Legal Drugs for a Variety of Reasons

Some kids and teens are selling their own prescription drugs, such as medications for ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) or ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder). Parents who leave early to go to work may have no clue that these pills are falling into the hands of other kids. Very few parents think to keep track of the amount in the bottle.

Kids are stealing drugs outside the home from extended family such as grandparents. It's easy to overlook a missing blister pack of cold tablets or a few pain meds. And to further the danger, teens with jobs have even greater access to OTC medications which can be purchased right off the shelf and resold to make more money.

Young people from all financial backgrounds sell legal drugs for all kinds of reasons, and some of those reasons may be surprising. Even "good" kids who would never dream of becoming involved in any kind of illegal drug activity are seeing the profit in selling prescription and OTC drugs. Kids may sell legal drugs to:

Make money to buy things they want, such as clothes, electronics, or more pharmacy drugs.
Help pay bills and buy food because Mom or Dad (or both) has lost a job.
Buy school supplies, lunches, and pay school fees during hard times.
Gain popularity among peers.

What Can Parents Do to Stop Legal Drug Abuse?

Parents can educate teens and younger kids to the dangers of medicines kept in the home. What else can parents do?

Let young people in the family know all medications – prescription and OTC – will be closely monitored. If necessary, lock all drugs – cold tablets and cough medicines included – in a cabinet so kids can't get to them.
Ask friends and adult family members to monitor legal drugs in their homes when kids visit.
Be a role model for kids and teens. Ladies' Home Journal magazine, (June 09, p. 73), gives parents a reminder in the article, "Do What You Have To Do To Keep Your Teens Safe" and states, "Be a good role model by not sharing prescription medications."

Selling legal drugs has been a problem for years, but has increased significantly since the unstable economy has made it difficult to afford illegal drugs. Parents can help put a halt to legal drug abuse by informing children of the dangers of taking too much of any drug. By watching for signs of excessive drug use and taking action, parents may prevent a tragic death caused by abusing legal drugs.

The copyright of the article School Children Abusing OTC & Prescription Drugs in Drug Abuse is owned by Mary King. Permission to republish School Children Abusing OTC & Prescription Drugs in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.