Teenage prescription drug abuse in Idaho

When there are reports of teenagers with drug problems, many people make the assumption that the drugs being abused are cannabis, ecstasy and speed; however, there is a growing problem with teenagers abusing prescription drugs.

An American documentary called Out of Reach has examined the problems of prescription drug abuse in small cities across America. The documentary was made by a teenager with the help of a professional film crew. Studies have shown that one in four teenagers will abuse prescription drugs. While the problem is still fairly new, campaigners are keen to spread the message now before the problem escalates.

“What we’ve really seen among teen girls is that they do this as an escape behaviour. They’re having trouble dealing with the pressures of everyday life,” said Courtney Gallo of The Partnership at Drugfree.org.

The film was promoted with the help of the Idaho Meth Project and the Idaho Office of Drug Policy.

“It’s kind of a new topic in Idaho that parents don’t really know about as much as they do other drugs and they don’t realize how nonchalant teens are about abusing prescription medicine that has not been prescribed to them,” said Gina Heideman, executive director of the Idaho Meth Project.

Idaho State is ranked fourth in the US for non-medical prescription pain reliever abuse in children and young adults over the age of 12 years. Problems tend to start young amongst children with easy access to prescription drugs in the home.

As a result of the documentary, the Idaho Office of Drug Policy has launched a new campaign called Lock Your Meds. This campaign simply asks parents to keep over-the-counter and prescription drugs locked up where their children cannot access them.