Transcript Slide 1

Presenters
Name
Name
Date
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Prescription for Danger
The stats, myths,
and risks of
prescription drug
abuse
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What do you think?
Approximately how
many prescriptions
are purchased in
the U.S. each year?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
3,900
390,000
3.9 million
3.9 billion
3.9 trillion
(Kaiser Family Foundation, 2013)
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Advertising
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Generation Rx
Pharmaceutical Populism
…a growing culture of
self-diagnosis and selfprescription
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What do you think?
About how many Americans (age 12 or older)
abused a prescription medication in the past
month?
1. 6,500
2. 65,000
3. 650,000
4. 6.5 million
5. 65 million
(National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2013)
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Stats and Trends
Prescription for Danger
In 2012, there were more new abusers of
prescription drugs than any other substance!
First-time abusers of
prescription drugs = 4,149,000
(National Survey
on Drug Use and
Health, 2012)
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What do you think?
Which behavior(s) is
considered prescription
drug misuse or abuse?
1. Taking a prescription drug that was not
prescribed for you
2. Taking more of a prescription drug than
you’re supposed to
3. Taking a prescription drug for a reason
other than you’re supposed to
4. All of the above
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What do you think?
Are teens a part of this problem?
1. Yes
2. No
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Stats and Trends
Prescription for
Danger!
Marijuana is the only
“street” drug whose
use exceeds that of
prescription drugs.
(Monitoring the Future Study, 2013)
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Stats and Trends
• 16% of teens report misusing or
abusing prescription drugs in the
past year
• Nearly 1 in 4 teens reports misusing
or abusing a prescription medication at least
once in their lifetime
• Every day, about 2,000 teens abuse a
prescription drug for the very first time
(Partnership Attitude Tracking Study, 2014; National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2012)
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What do you think?
Why do teens abuse prescription drugs?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
To get high
To relax
To improve grades
To “fit in”
All of the above
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Teen Perceptions
• One-third of teens do not think that using
medications once or twice without a prescription is
of great or even moderate risk
• Teens do believe that the risks
of abusing prescription drugs
include overdosing, endangering
your health, and addiction
• Teens believe prescription drugs
are easy to obtain
(Partnership Attitude Tracking Study, 2013)
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What do you think?
When justifying their prescription drug
abuse, what reasons do teens give?
1.
2.
3.
4.
“Rx drugs can’t be dangerous.”
“Rx drugs can’t be addictive.”
“It’s legal.”
All of the above
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Prescription for Danger - Summary
• In terms of abuse, prescription drugs are not
safe alternatives to street drugs
• Addiction can occur just as easily with some
prescription drugs as it does with street drugs.
• Possessing a prescription drug without
a prescription is illegal and a felony
offense (punishable by jail time)
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Questions or comments
YOUR NAME HERE
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Developed by
The Ohio State University
College of Pharmacy
This program is made possible
with a grant from the
Cardinal Health Foundation
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