New publications
Painkiller abuse among teens is on the rise
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
Recreational drug use among teens is a serious problem. A new study from the University of Colorado, Denver, shows that today's youth abuse painkillers such as Vicodin, Valium, and OxyContin is 40 percent higher than previous generations.
Painkiller abuse is the second most common form of illicit drug use in the United States after marijuana, says Richard Mech, lead author of the study.
Often, teenagers take painkillers from relatives or friends and think that they are safe because they are prescribed by a doctor. But using such drugs for self-medication or to get high is just as dangerous as taking drugs.
"Young people who watch their parents take painkillers may come to the conclusion that using these drugs is not a health risk and is completely safe," says the professor. "However, the consequences can be very serious, even fatal."
Dr. Mech notes that the number of deaths from accidental overdoses of these drugs has now increased, surpassing even the deaths from heroin and cocaine overdoses combined.
“Most people recognise that having a loaded gun in the house is a source of increased danger, but few people understand the hidden dangers that powerful painkillers and their uncontrolled use pose,” comments Richard Mech.
According to the study, non-medical use of painkillers increased by 129% between 2004 and 2009. Thirteen percent of high school students use such drugs, compared with just 6% in 1990.
“These results show that current policies and measures are not yet effective enough in combating the factors that influence the increase in non-medical use of painkillers among young people and the population as a whole,” the professor concludes. “It is very important that we be able to develop a strategy to combat this epidemic, which is only gaining momentum.”
[