Abuse of anti-anxiety and sleep medications growing among this demographic

Though it may not be a surprise that teens with prescriptions for anti-anxiety and sleep medications are among those most likely to abuse such prescriptions, experts indicate this group is also the most likely to obtain such medications illegally, from friends, family, or other contacts.

According to new research published by the American Psychological Association, teens prescribed anti-anxiety or sleep medications were 12 times more likely to use someone else’s similar medication illegally than students who had never received a prescription.

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What’s more, among students who used both anti-anxiety and sleep medications, the risk for abuse was seen primarily for anti-anxiety meds, which researchers indicate may provide greater euphoric effects than sleep medications.

“This is a wake-up call to the medical community as far as the risks involved in prescribing these medications to young people,” said lead researcher Carol J. Boyd, PhD, in a press release. “When taken as prescribed, these drugs are effective and not dangerous. The problem is when adolescents use too many of them or mix them with other substances, especially alcohol.”

The issue is that teens on anti-anxiety medications and sleep aids typically are suffering from stress and negative mental health issues that contribute to a depressed mood. Medications that improve mood or sleep are then seen as a “cure” for the bad feelings, generating a dependency. This scape-goat mentality, coupled with peer pressure and a natural curiosity for experimentation can eventually lead to the abuse of prescriptions. Teens who have taken anti-anxiety medications and sleep aids for extended periods of time are likely to consider them safe, and therefore don’t think twice about using a friend’s similar prescription.

“Prescribers and parents don’t realize the abuse potential,” Boyd said. “These drugs produce highly attractive sensations, and adolescents may start seeking the drugs after their prescriptions run out. The public often thinks that non-medical use of these prescription drugs is driven by doctor shopping and drug dealers, but it isn’t. It is driven by people with prescriptions who divert their pills to other people, who are usually friends or family members.”

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The dispensing of prescription medications to someone other than the person intended by the prescribing doctor is a federal and state crime. Most medications have a list of potential side-effects, and only a doctor will know if a medication is right for someone’s particular situation. Dosing may also be different between people due to weight differences; what is appropriate for a teenage girl may not be the same dose for a middle-aged man.