More Missouri Teens Falling Prey to Prescription Drug Abuse

By Staff Writer

Authorities from Cape Girardeu, Missouri, told reporters with KFVS that prescription drug abuse is on the rise among adolescents and teenagers throughout the state.

Experts told KFVS that many teens are turning to prescription drug abuse instead of drugs such as marijuana, cocaine and heroin because the medication is easier to access and often more difficult to detect in drug tests.

As with adults, young people who abuse prescription painkillers such as Percocet, Vicodin and Oxycontin are at risk of developing an opiate addiction, which could require drug rehab to help them recover. Law enforcement officials are urging parents to throw away old medication and take better inventory of their medicine cabinets to help prevent children from obtaining these drugs.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) reports that about one in 10 high school seniors reported using Vicodin for recreational purposes in the previous 12 months.

More Missouri Teens Falling Prey to Prescription Drug Abuse

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