Sharing prescription drugs not uncommon among teens

August 10, 9:23 PMPortland Teen Issues ExaminerFlora Richards-Gustafson

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The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Canadian Broadcasting Centre both released reports today that have found that about 20% of teens share prescription drugs with their peers. They are not just sharing prescription painkillers, but other drugs like antibiotics, allergy medicine, acne medication, ADHD medication, anti-depressants, etc.

What's the harm? With almost 20% of Portland teens abusing prescription pain killers, the consequences could be worse than imagined. The practice of sharing prescription drugs, even though the intentions may be good, can have deadly consequences. A teen may not know they are allergic to a medication until it is too late. A teen may also borrow a medication that can cause birth defects without knowing she is pregnant. Negative drug interactions are also of concern if teens are taking multiple types of prescription drugs without a physician's knowledge.

More on teens and prescription drug abuse.