CNN
–
A new study found that in some middle schools and middle schools in the United States, a quarter of teenagers reported abused prescription stimulants for attention-deficiency hyperactivity disorder a year ago.
“This is the first time to study non-medical use of prescription stimulants by middle and high school students, and we have found huge, widespread abuse,” said Sean Esteban McCabe, director of the research center. “Drugs, alcohol, smoking and health at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor University.
“In some schools, there is little abuse of stimulants, while in others, more than 25% of students use stimulants in a non-medical manner,” McCabe is also a professor of nursing at the University of Michigan School of Nursing. “This study is a major wake-up call.”
Non-medical uses of irritants may include taking more than normal doses to obtain height or taking medications Alcohol or other drugs Raise the high position Previous research Found it.
Students also overuse drugs or “due to the stress of academics, they give them the pills they give them—they are trying to stay up late and study or finish the paper,” Yale Addiction Medicine Program New Haven, Connecticut.
“We know this is happening in colleges. One of the main benefits of this new study is that abuse and sharing of prescription stimulant drugs in middle and high schools is happening, not just colleges,” said Camenga, who was not involved in the study.
Posted in a magazine on Tuesday JAMA Network Openthe study analyzed data collected between 2005 and 2020 by monitoring the future, and the federal survey measured drug and alcohol use in middle school students nationwide each year since 1975.
In the data set of this study, a questionnaire was provided to more than 230,000 adolescents in the nationally representative sample of 3,284 secondary schools.
The highest rate school Adolescents use prescribed ADHD medications The study found that students were about 36% more likely to abuse prescription stimulants in the past year. McCabe said the problem is much smaller than that of students using this treatment, but it has not disappeared.
“We know that the two biggest sources are the remaining drugs, maybe family members such as siblings, and ask peers who might attend other schools,” he said.
The study says that suburban schools in all regions of the United States have higher rates of adolescent abuse, while schools with one or more parents also have college degrees, the study said.
Schools with more white students and middle-level students drinking alcohol are also more likely to see teenagers abuse stimulants.
On an individual level, students who say they used marijuana over the past 30 days were four times more likely to abuse ADHD medication than adolescents who did not use weeds, according to the analysis.
In addition, stimulant abuse is about 2.5% more likely than adolescents who have used ADHD drugs in the past or past. The study found that peers who had never used stimulants were found.
“But these findings are not driven simply by adolescents who abuse substances,” McCabe said. “Even if we exclude students who never prescribe ADHD therapy, we still find important connections.”
Data from the study were collected until 2020. Since then, New statistics In 2021, prescriptions for stimulants for most age groups soared by 10%. Meanwhile, Adderall nationwide is one of the most popular ADHD drugs, leaving many patients Unable to fill out or supplement their prescription.
The stakes are high: Over time, taking improper irritant medications can lead to irritant use disorders, which can lead to anxiety, depression, psychosis, and seizures.
If overuse or combined with alcohol or other medications, there may be sudden health consequences. Side effects can include “parassy, dangerous high body temperature and irregular heartbeat, especially when taking irritants in large doses or in other ways than swallowing pills”. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Management.
Research also shows that people who abuse ADHD drugs are likely to have Multiple substance use disorders.
Experts say irritant abuse has grown over the past two decades Be diagnosed and prescribed These drugs-Research McCabe said 1 in 9 high school students reported stimulation therapy for ADHD.
Stimulants can be effective in children with ADHD who are properly employed. They “protect the health of their children.” “Those adolescents who have been properly diagnosed and treated do a good job – they are at a lower risk of having new mental health problems or new substance use disorders.”
What can parents and caregivers do
McCabe stressed that the approach to addressing irritating abuse among teenagers in middle and high school does not limit the use of medication for children who really need them.
“Instead, we need to look at strategies that are more or less about curbing drug abuse,” he said. “Parents can ensure that the schools where children go to school have safe drug storage and strict distribution policies. And Ask about the prevalence of abuse – every school can use data.”
He added that families can also help by discussing with their children how to deal with their peers who approach their peers who want a drug or two to attend party or have a full-night learning session.
“You’ll be surprised at how many kids don’t know what to say,” McCabe said. “Parents can play roles with their kids and provide them with options so they’re ready when it happens.”
Parents and guardians He added that controlled drugs should always be stored in a cipher box and that pills should not be feared and early replenishment should be maintained.
“Finally, if parents suspect any type of abuse, they should contact the child’s prescriber immediately,” McCabe said. “The child should be screened and evaluated immediately.”
