• A main area of concern is the continued high rates of nonmedical use of prescription pain killers (i.e., Vicodin and OxyContin) in each grade. (National Institute on Drug Abuse's Monitoring the Future Survey)

• Abuse of medications has penetrated teen culture: 37 percent of teens say they have close friends who have abused prescription painkillers like Vicodin®, OxyContin® and Tylox®. Some 29 percent say the same about prescription stimulants Ritalin® and Adderall®. Teens often overstate friends’ use; however, this measure underscores awareness and normalization of this type of substance abuse among teenagers.¹

• Approximately one in five teenagers (18 percent), or 4.3 million teenagers nationally, report abusing Vicodin®; one in 10 teenagers (10 percent), or 2.3 million teenagers nationally, report abusing OxyContin®. (Both are prescription painkillers.)¹

• Teen abuse of prescription and OTC medications is higher or on par with teen abuse of a variety of illicit drugs – i.e., cocaine / crack (9 percent), Ecstasy (9 percent), methamphetamine (8 percent), LSD (6 percent), ketamine (5 percent), heroin (4 percent) and GHB (4 percent).¹

• One in 10 teenagers (10 percent), or 2.3 million young people, has tried prescription stimulants Ritalin® and/or Adderall® without a doctor’s order¹

• One in 11 teenagers (9 percent), or 2.2 million young people, has abused OTC cough medications intentionally to get high. Such products contain the active ingredient dextromethorphan.¹

• Teens who abuse or have abused an Rx or OTC medication are, more often than not, likely to report having abused drugs such as Ecstasy and marijuana. ¹

• Proportion of high schoolers attending schools with drugs is up 41% over 2002 ²

• Proportion of middle schoolers attending schools with drugs is up 47% over 2002 ²

¹ 17th annual national study of teen drug abuse, the Partnership for a Drug-Free America®

² CASA National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse-Teens and Parents 2