Why prescription drugs are bad

Youth who misuse prescription medications are also more likely to report use of other drugs. Multiple studies have revealed associations between prescription drug misuse and higher rates of cigarette smoking; heavy episodic drinking; and marijuana, cocaine, and other illicit drug use among U.

National Institutes of Health. Drug Topics. As with any type of mind-altering drug, prescription drug misuse and abuse can affect judgment and inhibition, putting adolescents at heightened risk for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, misusing other kinds of drugs, and engaging in additional risky behaviors.

In addition, educating adolescents and their parents about the risks of drug misuse and abuse can play a role in combating the problem. Developed with the help of teens to ensure relevance, NIDA scientists created a site that delivers science-based facts about how drugs affect the brain and body so that young people will be armed with better information to make healthy decisions.

Access more behavioral health and homelessness resources. To sign up for updates or to access your subscriber preferences, please enter your contact information. Skip to main content. Mono Bar U. Main menu. Previous MTF Data. Explore teen substance use trends over time, by grade and substance with an interactive chart featuring Monitoring the Future data from to present.

If a friend is using drugs, you might have to step away from the friendship for a while. It is important to protect your own mental health and not put yourself in situations where drugs are being used.

Prescription opioids are effective drugs if used safely. If misused, a person can become addicted to them. In this lesson, students will get an understanding of the unexpected and potential dangerous effects associated with mixing medications and This lesson, provides scientific information about teen brain development and the effect of drugs and alcohol use on the brain.

Content on this site is available for your use and may be reproduced in its entirety without permission from NIDA. Department of Health and Human Services. National Institutes of Health.

Prescription Drugs. Expand All What happens to your brain when you misuse prescription drugs? Each class of prescription drugs works a bit differently in the brain and can cause actions similar to some illegal drugs: Prescription opioid pain medications bind to molecules on cells known as opioid receptors—the same receptors that respond to heroin. These receptors are found on nerve cells in many areas of the brain and body, especially in brain areas involved in the perception of pain and pleasure.

Prescription stimulants , such as Ritalin, have similar effects to cocaine , by causing a buildup of the brain chemicals dopamine and norepinephrine. Prescription depressants make a person feel calm and relaxed in the same manner as the club drugs GHB and rohypnol. What can happen to your body when you misuse prescription drugs?

Ritalin may seem harmless because it's prescribed even for little kids with ADHD. Probably the most common risk of prescription drug abuse is addiction. People who abuse medicines can become addicted as easily as if they were taking street drugs. That's one reason most doctors won't renew a prescription unless they see the patient — they want to examine the patient to make sure he or she isn't getting addicted.

If a doctor prescribes a pain medicine, stimulant, or CNS depressant, follow the directions exactly. Also be sure to:. Finally, never use someone else's prescription. And don't allow anyone to use yours. Not only are you putting others at risk, but you could suffer too: Pharmacists may be stopped from refilling a prescription if a medicine has been used up before it should be.

And if you're found giving medicine to someone else, it's considered a crime and you could find yourself in court. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. Which Drugs Are Abused?