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Prescription Opioid & Stimulant Misuse Among Youth

October, 2021  Montana State University Extension Family & Consumer Sciences

• 35% report using prescriptions because they incorrectly believe prescriptions are “safer than illegal drugs.”
• 62% report abusing prescription drugs because they are easy to get from parents’ medicine cabinets.
• 57% of those who misused prescription opioids got them from a friend or relative. 


WHAT ARE OPIOIDS

o·pi·oid noun 1. an opiumlike compound that binds
to one or more of the three opioid receptors of the body.
adjective 1. relating to opioid compounds.
Prescription opioids can be prescribed by doctors to treat
moderate to severe pain and are often prescribed after
injuries or surgeries.

LIST OF COMMON PRESCRIPTION OPIOIDS:

Codeine , Diphenoxylate (Lomotil), Fentanyl, Hydrocodone (Vicodin), Methadone, Morphine (Kadian, Avinza), Oxycodone (OxyContin, Percocet), Oxymorphone
(Opana). Slang Terms: Oxy, Percs, and Vics.


Commonly Misused Prescription Opioids:

Morphine: A natural opioid prescribed under many
brand names, including Astramorph, Avinza, DepoDur,
Duramorph, and Kaidan, among others.
Oxycodone: A semi-synthetic opioid prescribed under
the brand names OxyContin and Percocet.
Vicodin: Takes hydrocodone, a semi-synthetic opioid,
and pairs it with acetaminophen to make another highly addictive painkiller.

Short-Term Side Effects:

pain relieve, feeling relaxed and happy.

Harmful Side Effects:

confusion, nausea, constipation, euphoria, slowed breathing, increase in pain, tolerance, and physical dependency.

Side Effects of Misuse:

slowed breathing can cause hypoxia, a condition that
could result in coma, permanent brain damage, or death.
Misuse can lead to Opioid Use Disorder (OUD).

WHAT ARE STIMULANTS

stim·u·lant noun 1. a substance that raises levels of
physiological or nervous activity in the body. adjective 1. raising
levels of physiological or nervous activity in the body.
Prescription stimulants can be prescribed by doctors to treat
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD) and Narcolepsy—
(uncontrollable episodes of deep sleep).

LIST OF COMMON PRESCRIPTION STIMULANTS:

Adderall, Ritalin, Dexedrine, and diet aids such as Preludin
Fastin, and Meridia. Slang Terms: Speed, Uppers, Vitamin R.

Commonly Misused Prescription Stimulants:

Adderall: With a usage rate of 76% among stimulant abusers,
Adderall is the most popular stimulant for self-medication.
Prescribed as a treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD), this cocktail of amphetamines’ primary illicit
use is to be ground and snorted as a “study aid”.
Ritalin: Brand name for a stimulant (methylphenidate) used
by 25% of people who misuse prescription stimulants. Intended for use as an ADHD treatment, Ritalin is used nonmedically as a study aid or to stay alert.

Short-Term Side Effects:

increased blood pressure, heart rate,
and breathing. Decreased blood flow, opened-up breathing
passages, high temp., irregular heartbeat, heart failure, and seizures.

Side Effects of Misuse:

psychosis, anger or paranoia.
Misuse can lead to Substance Use Disorder (SUD).

Misuse of prescription drugs means:

Taking a medication in a manner or dose other than prescribed; taking someone else’s prescription, even if for a legitimate medical complaint such as pain; or taking a medication to
feel euphoria (i.e. to get high). The term nonmedical use of prescription drugs also refers to these categories of misuse.

Teens misuse prescription drugs for many reasons:

To feel good or get high—To relax or relieve tension—To reduce appetite—To increase alertness—To experiment with the mental effects of the substance—To be accepted by peers or to be social—To try to improve concentration or to stay awake—To try and improve academic or work performance.

Signs of prescription drug misuse include:

Stealing, forging or selling prescriptions—Taking higher doses than prescribed—Excessive mood swings or hostility—Increase or decrease in sleep—Poor decision-making—Appearing to be high, unusually energetic, or sedated—Requesting early refills or continually “losing” prescriptions—Seeking prescriptions from more than
one doctor.

Prescription drug withdrawal is the group of symptoms that occur upon the abrupt discontinuation or decrease in the intake of medicine. Opioid withdrawal includes muscle & bone pain, sleep problems, diarrhea & vomiting, cold flashes with goose bumps, uncontrollable leg movements. Stimulant withdrawal includes fatigue, depression, and sleep problems.

Signs of prescription drug overdose:

A person can overdose on either prescription opioids and stimulants. An overdose occurs when the person uses enough of the drug to produce life-threatening reaction or death.

Signs of an Opioid Overdose

Slow, shallowed breathing(Hypoxia)
 Clammy skin
Convulsions
Respiratory depression & arrest (stop breathing)
Coma
Death

Signs of a Simulant Overdose

Restlessness & Tremors
Overactive reflexes
Rapid breathing
Confusion & Aggression
Hallucinations & Panic states
Abnormally increased fever
Muscle pain & weakness
Irregular heartbeat
Seizures

Key Montana Stats & Resources

  • One in ten high school students has taken a prescription drug without a doctor's prescription. (2019
    Youth Risk Behavior Survey) https://dphhs.mt.gov/Portals/85/publichealth/documents/EMSTS/opioids/
    MontanaSubstanceUseDisordersTaskForceStrategicPlan.pdf?
  • Statewide, 13% of high school students and 17% of students with disabilities took prescription pain
    medication (such as codeine, Vicodin, OxyContin, Hydrocodone and Percocet) without a doctors prescription or differently than how a doctor told them to use it during their lifetime. (2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey)  https://opi.mt.gov/Portals/182/Page%20Files/YRBS/2019YRBS/2019_MT_YRBS_FullReport.pdf
  • In 2019, Montana providers wrote 48.2 opioid prescriptions for every 100 persons 18 and older.
    (Montana DPHHS Epidemiology report, 2019) https://dphhs.mt.gov/Portals/85/publichealth/documents/
    Epidemiology/EpiOpioidUse2021.pdf
  • Approximately 38,600 Montanans aged 12 years and older misused opioids in 2018. (MTDPHHS, 2019)
    https://dphhs.mt.gov/Portals/85/publichealth/documents/Epidemiology/EpiOpioidUse2021.pdf
  • Between 2007-2018, the number of drug poisoning deaths in Montana totaled 472. (MTDPHHS, 2019)
    https://dphhs.mt.gov/Portals/85/publichealth/documents/EMSTS/opioids/DrugPoisoningDeathsMontana2007to2018.pdf
  •  While opioid related deaths have declined since 2007, deaths related to stimulants have increased
    dramatically from 18 in 2013-2014 to 51 in 2017-2018. (MTDPHHS, 2019)