AHS Views

Do we need addiction help for the 3.1 million teenagers who turn to cough syrup when painkillers, depressants or other stronger drugs aren’t available? Its coming, that’s for sure. Neil Cline, a counselor for Integrated Counseling Services said that “despite the numbers, the teens he counsels are usually not addicted to cough meds, but rather use them when other, illegal drugs are not available.” There’s no question that they need addiction help.

Abusing prescription drugs is nothing new, but using cough medicine when other stronger drugs aren’t available is a new twist. Kids want the pills and they will buy them from friends: they’ll buy them from freidns who were injured and got prescription painkillers from their doctors; college students buy their friends’ prescribed stimulants; and sometimes they just lift them from people’s homes.

Some estimates say 25% of people between the ages of 18 and 26 abuse prescription painkillers and stimulants. This does not include the normal street drugs such as heroin or cocaine. Some percentage of these people will need to go for addiction help services, no doubt about it.