The risk of future drug addiction and abuse in teenagers who are prescribed medications for anxiety and sleep disorders. Opioid addiction in Alberta and British Columbia – Drug Rehabs in Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer and other parts of Alberta by Options Okanagan Treatment Center in Kelowna, British Columbia treating heroin, fentanyl, opiate, drug addiction and recovery.
Teen Rehab and Intervention in BC and Alberta
Risks Of Future Opioid Abuse In Teenagers Prescribed Opiates
According to a recent study from a leading Canadian university, teenagers who have been prescribed sleep or anti-anxiety medications are at increased risk of abusing those drugs in the future.
Addiction researchers from the university found that teens who acquired scripts for anxiety or sleep medications were 9 times more likely to start abusing those drugs within a two-year window than teens who had not been prescribed such medications. In addition, teens prescribed anxiety meds during adolescence were ten times more likely to take another person’s anxiety medication at a later date.
The study also discovered that the length of time a teen took anxiety or sleep medications had an effect on their chances of later abusing those drugs. Teens with long-term prescriptions for those medications had an increased probability of abusing them later when compared with teens who were issued short-term prescriptions.
A Surprising Number Use Medications Prescribed To Others
The number of teens taking drugs prescribed to others was a big surprise to the Canadian addiction researchers. While the researchers had initially started the study to find out the number of teens abusing their own sleep or anti-anxiety medications, they inadvertently found out that many teens were abusing such medications by taking drugs prescribed to their peers.
The discovery adds new layers of concern for parents worried about their teenage sons and daughters abusing prescription drugs. Parents can be super vigilant with regulating the prescription drug use they allow in their own homes by locking medicine cabinets and monitoring the number of pills in each bottle. However, it is more difficult to keep track of a teen’s actions outside of the family home and to prevent teens from receiving or exchanging medications with friends.
To prevent medication abuse, parents and doctors have to take time to educate teens about the dangers of misusing and abusing prescription drugs. The risk of serious drug dependence and addiction rises drastically when medications are misused. Furthermore, the potential for addiction, dependence, injury or even death increases massively if sleep or anxiety medications are taken alongside alcohol or narcotics.
The possible legal repercussions of prescription drug abuse also need to be considered. Sharing prescription medications for controlled substances, which many sleep and anxiety drugs are classified, is a felony.
High Incidences Of Mental Disorders
The risks associated with prescribing sleep and anxiety drugs do not negate the benefits these medications can have for many teens struggling with severe anxiety disorders and chronic sleep problems. However, the large number of teens now suffering from anxiety and sleep disorders is a cause for concern in and of itself.
Out of the 1,900 teens who took part in the study, 11% had been prescribed anxiety or sleep medication at one time. The number of teens suffering from anxiety disorders and sleep issues is likely higher. Many other studies, for instance, suggests that one in three teens now struggle with some form of depression.
Finding out why such a large number of teens are now facing mental health issues could help to prevent others from developing chronic sleep problems, anxiety, and other mental health disorders. It would then be possible to reduce the number of teens seeking prescription medications to deal with those disorders. In turn, this would potentially decrease the number of teens putting themselves in danger by abusing prescription drugs.
Teen Rehab Treatment In BC and Alberta
Options Okanagan Drug And Alcohol Treatment Centers in Kelowna, Salmon Arm and Vancouver, British Columbia – Men and Women are recovering and healing from Alcohol and Drug Abuse at our treatment center here in the Okanagan right now.
Our unique and distinctive drug treatment program allows men and women to come in from Calgary as well as Edmonton as we offer airport pickup.
Numerous clients come to us from Calgary and Edmonton and other locations in Alberta and even other provinces for Opiate addiction treatment, meth drug treatment, many other drug and alcohol addictions for rehabilitation because of the uniqueness of our treatment center.
Our (Kelowna ) Alcohol and Drug Treatment Program Location:
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For Mail Delivery :: Please contact each center for correct mailing addresses, also this location is the location of our residential treatment programs in Kelowna. Please call Toll Free 1-855-335-0331 to contact the treatment center you are going to for the address and directions.
Options Okanagan Opioid Treatment Center
551 Sherrydale Crescent, Kelowna, British Columbia, V1V 2E6
Toll Free Phone Number : 1-855-335-0331