According to the 17th Annual Study on Teen Drug Abuse, one in five teenagers has abused a prescription painkiller. That figure, "one in five," doesn't have much meaning alone. But it sure does when you consider that it means more teenagers have abused a prescription painkiller than have experimented with Ecstasy, cocaine, crack, or LSD. That pretty much means that for most teens who use a substance, alcohol, marijuana, and prescription painkillers, like Vicodin and OxyContin , are their "drugs of choice." Which is why Roy Bostock, Chairman of the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, calls today's youth Generation Rx. [continues 510 words]
With Meth in the news so much these days, I am often asked "Why is Meth different from other drugs?" No drug of addiction is good; they wreak havoc with mind and body. But Meth has some interesting characteristics that are different from other drugs. Here is a rough sketch. Meth is in a class of drugs called stimulants, which includes amphetamines and cocaine. Meth, like other stimulants, increases energy while suppressing appetite. It basically comes in a powder form but can be altered to meet different types of use, which include snorting, smoking, and injecting. No matter how Meth is used, it instantly reaches the central nervous system. [continues 407 words]
