01 | 19 | 2008 Posted By Regan Zambri & Long

Over-The-Counter Medication Abuse Common for Adolescents: New Study

More than 3 million U.S. adolescents have used over-the-counter cough and cold medications to get high -- a number comparable to those who have used LSD, and higher than the number who have experimented with methamphetamines.  The finding is the result of recent research sponsored by the U.S. Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

According to the study, approximately 3.1 million people in the United States between the ages of 12 and 25 have used over-the-counter cough and cold medicines to get high at least once in their lifetimes.  Only 2.4 million adolescents report having experimented with methamphetamines.  

Researchers also found that the number of 12- to 25-year-olds who reported misuse of non-prescription cough and cold medicines in the past year (1 million) exceeded the number claiming to have used methamphetamines (740,000) and LSD (485,000) in the past year. The number was somewhat lower than the number of young people reporting that they had used the drug Ecstasy (1.5 million) in the past year.

The study -- the largest of its kind -- involved interviewing nearly 67,000 people from around the nation.  Patterns of misuse of non-prescription drugs varied among demographic groups. Females between 12 and 17 years of age were more likely than their male peers to have abused these drugs within the past year (2.3 percent vs. 1.5 percent).  Among all persons aged 12 to 25, the rate of past year misuse among whites (2.1 percent) was three times higher than among blacks (0.6 percent) and still significantly higher than among Hispanics (1.4 percent).

According to researchers, over-the-counter cough and cold medications are generally safe when used as directed, but can induce severe dissociative, “out-of-body” experiences when taken in amounts far in excess of their recommended dosages.

Previously on the DC Metro Area Medical Malpractice Law Blog, we have posted articles related to:

For information about your legal rights, please click here or call the law firm of Regan Zambri & Long, PLLC at 202-463-3030.