“Soft drugs” such as marijuana have been traditionally thought of as the gateway to harder drug abuse. But, in recent years studies have revealed that the incidence of prescription drug abuse is growing at an alarming rate and is fast becoming the new “gateway drug”, thus ushering in an increased epidemic of harder drug use.
This growing abuse is more concentrated among teens and adolescents as a result of the availability of prescription drugs. Previously, the proverbial street corner was where one could illegally obtain drugs, but with the increased number of prescriptions written, often times a teen doesn’t have to leave their home for their next high; they simply reach for the medicine cabinet.
“Obviously there is a huge problem with prescription drug abuse,” begins a spokesperson for Mountainside
Drug Rehab and Alcohol Treatment Center. “Years ago, marijuana was the most common ‘first point of contact’ drug for young people. What we are now seeing is that prescription medications such as Oxycontin and Vicodin, are the first drugs that young people are using. These are becoming the new gateway drugs for this generation. What’s so disturbing is that this class of drugs alone is highly addictive and often deadly, yet their use leads to even more deadly drug abuse with such substances as heroin and cocaine.”
Recreational drug abuse with narcotics creates a physical and psychological dependency that carves an easy path to addiction and harder drug abuse. Up to 2,500 young people, ages 12 through 18, experiment with prescription pain killers for the first time every day. Those numbers translate into a large number of potential substance abusers who will need drug addiction treatment.
If you or someone you love has become dependent on prescription painkillers or other substances, Mountainside Drug Rehab can assist you in becoming free of that addiction.
Mountainside’s original, unique approach to drug rehab began 12 years ago. The compassionate, caring treatment team at Mountainside
Drug Rehab and Alcohol Treatment Center is comprised of licensed and certified counselors and social workers as well as an on-staff Nurse Practitioner and a Registered Nurse, both of whom have specializations and extensive experience in drug addiction and alcohol treatment. For clients who may have psychiatric issues and/or a dual diagnosis, Mountainside provides the services of a Psychiatrist who also has specialization in addiction treatment.
The program, along with the cohesive addiction treatment team, earned national recognition resulted in Mountainside being invited by the White House to Washington to meet with the White House Drug Czar, John P. Waters, for an in-depth meeting on what makes their program so successful. These accolades brought national attention to Mountainside and the effectiveness of providing a more holistic approach to drug addiction treatment.
If you have any questions, please contact Mountainside Drug Rehab and Alcohol Treatment Center for a confidential inquiry at 800-762-5433.
