Besides the illicit drugs, the prescription drugs and over-the-counter drugs are also commonly abused by the young people. In a study by Bell (1984) the most commonly used prescription drugs by the young people were categorized as sedatives, tranquilizers, and stimulants. Sedatives (eg Nytol, Sominex,etc) are commonly used to obtain relief from insomnia or those having trouble in falling asleep; tranquilizers, (eg including Compoz, etc) are commonly used for alleviating minor tension or anxiety; and stimulants ( including ritalin, Vivarin, caffeine tablets etc) are commonly used to combat drowsiness and remain awake.
In this study by Bell (1984), Women were observed to show a higher frequency of using OTC tranquilizers than men. On the other hand men, especially those who were young and married, were observed to have a higher preference for using stimulants. The abuse of various stimulant drugs (amphetamines, methylphenidate (brand names: Ritalin, Ritalin SR, etc) which are commonly prescribed for treatment of ADHD has also increased among the young people in the UK (Sussman et al, 2006).
These drugs are often misused by college or school students as they help them to stay alert and concentrate, especially during exams. Hence they are often known as “study drugs”. Most common method of consumption of these drugs was found to be oral ingestion of pills followed by snorting (intranasal route) and intravenous use. It has also been observed that young people who illegally abuse prescription drugs are more likely to abuse illicit drugs as well. These drugs have been shown to have a definite abuse potential and result in development of tolerance and physical dependence with prolonged use.
Use of prescription drugs can also result in numerous medical complications and may even place the user at the risk of heart attack of stroke (Sussman, 2006). Intravenous use of prescription stimulants is particularly dangerous as it can result in development of an important complication called talcosis. Talcosis is the result of body’s reaction to talc, a substance often used as filler during the manufacture of various prescription medicines like methylphenidate etc.
Normally when these prescription medicines are injected intravenously by drug addicts these tablets are crushed, dissolved in water and then injected. The talc present in these drugs gets inside the body resulting in inflammatory reactions. The study by Sussman et al (2006) emphasizes the importance of the need for reduction of use of prescription drugs among young people. Limiting access to the prescription drugs may serve as an important strategy for reducing the use of prescription drugs among young people in UK.