Medicine Abuse
Most Commonly Abused Medicine
Teen's Rx Drugs of Choice For Abuse
|
How they work |
Abused by teens to: |
Drug names |
|
| Strong Pain Relievers | Used to relieve moderate-to-severe pain, these medications block pain signals to the brain. | Get high, increase feelings of well being by affecting the brain regions that mediate pleasure | Vicodin, OxyContin, Percocet, Lorcet, Lortab, Actiq, Darvon, Codeine, Morphine, Methadone |
| Stimulants | Primarily used to treat ADHD type symptoms, these speed up brain activity causing increased alertness, attention, and energy that comes with elevated blood pressure, increased heart rate and breathing. | Feel alert, focused and full of energy—perhaps around final exams or to manage coursework, lose weight | Adderall, Dexedrine, Ritalin, Concerta |
| Sedatives or Tranquilizers | Used to slow down or "depress" the functions of the brain and central nervous system pressure, increased heart rate and breathing. | Feel calm, reduce stress, sleep | Valium, Xanax, Activan, Kloropin, Restoril, Ambien, Lunesta, Mebaral, Nembutal, Soma |
Rx Abuse Prevention Toolkit—from awareness to action