As a team we all came to a consecutive decision that we were going to research a health care reform of prescription drugs. Each team member has picked out an article that explains the dangers of prescription drugs, the general abuse of prescription drugs and the misuse of prescription drugs in teens to enhance academic performance, and the companies that produce prescription drugs and the competition along with the government’s role in the industry.
Each member has then summarized their findings. Misuse of prescription drugs is becoming the new normal in teen circles. A survey has shown that one in four teens now abuse or misuse a prescription drug at least once in their life time. Further results suggest that one in eight teens have misused stimulants Ritalin or Adderall at least once in their life time. The study also reveals that one-third of parents believe stimulants like Ritalin or Adderall improve a teens academic performance.
The article goes to state that twenty-six percent of teens now believe that prescription drugs like these can be used as study aids. Parents place an important role; teens are more likely to abuse prescription medicines when they believe their parents don’t care if they get caught using them, compared to illegal drugs. One in six parents believe that using prescription drugs to get high is safer than using street drugs. Almost one third of parents say they believe ADHD medication like Ritalin or Adderall can improve a child’s academic or testing performance.
Steve Pasierb states “This data make it very clear: The problem is real, the threat immediate and the situation is not poised to get better…. The key here is that kids and often their parents are buying into the myth and misunderstanding that prescription drug abuse is a safer way to get high, a safer alternative to street drugs, and that they can control it…Now, if cocaine or heroin use was going up the way prescription drug use is, parents would certainly be freaking out (Johnson, 2013).
” Since prescription drugs is the topic that our team chose I found this article that talks about the abuse of prescription drugs that is happening and how out of control that it is. In the article is talks about a survey that was done in 2009 that those who were abusing prescription drugs had started by taking a prescription drug.