Too many teens are entering drug rehab. Teen prescription drug abuse is on the rise. Two key findings from a recent Partnership for a Drug Free America study suggest that parents are getting the message that prescription drug addiction is a serious problem, but this hasn’t translated into a decrease in abuse.
· The number of parents who mistakenly believe that abusing prescription medicines is “much safer” than using illicit street drugs dropped by nearly half—from 19 percent in 2007 to just ten percent in 2008.
· In 2007, 24 percent of parents believed that intentional abuse of prescription medicines to get high would not be addictive. In 2008, that number decreased significantly to 11 percent.
However, heightened awareness has yet to translate into increased parental action to prevent the behavior, other findings indicate that.
· Teen prescription drug abuse has become an entrenched behavior that nearly 20 percent of teens admit to engaging in during their lifetime.
· There is a small, yet statistically insignificant, percentage gain in the number of parents who say they have discussed the dangers of Rx abuse with their teens, from 68 percent in 2007 to 72 percent in 2008.
The effect in North Carolina has largely been the same.
· Prescription drug addiction in North Carolina grew from about 15 percent of substance abuse addictions in 1993 to 35 percent in 2005.
Western North Carolina is the most hard hit.
· The 2007 North Carolina State Risk Behavior Survey indicated that 25 percent of high school students in Western North Carolina reported having used prescription drugs recreationally at least once, compared with only 17 percent of high school students in Central and Eastern North Carolina.
The Asheville-Buncombe Drug Commission attributes some of this regional difference to a larger over-65 resident population on Medicare being prescribed prescription opiates/analgesics.
These statistics underscore the need for effective drug treatment centers for residents in North Carolina. Narconon of Georgia provides drug treatment and education for the entire southeast region.
Narconon Drug Rehab of Georgia is a non-traditional drug abuse treatment program. Narconon was founded in 1967, and boasts a 76% success rate (based on a two year follow-up) through a non-12 step drug treatment program. The Narconon program provides body detoxification through a sauna and exercise program that helps eliminate or reduce cravings. After the sauna program, the client learns those life skills essential to success in life and the ability to stay clean. They graduate from Narconon with a life plan and continued support to make sure they make it in life.
