- Most frighteningly, because many of these painkillers cause slow breathing and because teens have a tendency to mix painkillers, they can even cause teens to die.
- Of course the primary effect painkillers have on teens is to make pain subside.
- The lucid effect painkillers provide also encourages teens to use them recreationally.
- Over half of teens using painkillers do not actually need them, but only use them as a source to get high.
- Continuous use of painkillers to get high may be thought to be harmless by some but it is not.
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- Painkillers are habit forming and teens can and will become addicted.
- Furthermore, prolonged use of painkillers for recreational purposes can encourage addictive behavior in other substances later in life.
- They are, essentially, a gateway drug.
- Naturally teens begin taking painkillers orally, whether because they need to or because they are experimenting.
- This experimental behavior often leaves the teen feeling high and adventurous.
- Eventually the teen will grow bored of this adventure and want to try something new.
- Dangerous experiments involving snorting painkillers such as Vicodin, Percocet, and Oxycontin usually begin.
- Snorting the drug significantly enhances the lucid effects of the drug but also the risks.
- Breathing problems
- Damage to the nasal passages
- Nasal passage may experience complete tissue death.
- Withdrawal symptoms are also significantly worse when painkillers are snorted.
- Typically when teens experiment with painkillers it does not take long for them to combine them.
- Each individual pain killer has side effects.
- They share many in common.
- Dizziness
- Drowsiness
- Slowed breathing (to name a few)
- These side effects are all magnified when the painkillers are mixed and taken together.
- Slowed breathing is particularly dangerous
- 10% of teens who experiment with mixing painkillers die from this.
- The number is small but rising.
- The effect of painkillers on teens in American effects more than just the pain they are in.
- Painkillers can be a recreational drug for teens if they are not monitored.
- This can lead to many bad things.
- Boredom encourages teens to experiment with how they take the drug, the dosage, and the mixture.
- All of these things can lead to prolonged health problems, addiction, and even death.
- It is important to know these effects so we can begin preventing the impact painkillers have on teens before their irresponsibility claims anymore lives.
The use of painkillers today is very common. After surgeries, injuries, or a variety of other things, many patients are prescribed painkillers to help them recover. Nearly half of the people that are prescribed painkillers after such ailments are teenagers. However, almost half of the teenagers taking painkillers were not prescribed them by a doctor; they are taking them recreationally. What are the effects these painkillers have on teens? The most obvious effect is to get rid of pain. However, painkillers are also habit-forming, meaning teens often end up abusing them recreationally. Using painkillers orally leads teens to other, more eclectic ways of taking the drug, such as snorting. Most frighteningly, because many painkillers cause slowed breathing and because teens sometimes mix painkillers, they can cause the teenager to die. Painkillers have many serious effects on teens.
Of course the primary effect painkillers have on teens is to make pain subside as well as to make recovery easier. Through this process teens often discover that the lucid effect painkillers offer is very pleasant and they continue to experiment with it recreationally. Over half of teenagers who use painkillers actually abuse them for recreational purposes; they do not need them medically. They use them only as a source to get high. Continuous use of these painkillers to get high may seem like harmless fun but it is not. Painkillers are habit-forming and teens can quickly become addicted to them. Furthermore, prolonged use of painkillers for recreational purposes is proven to psychologically impact teens, predisposing them to addictive behavior toward other substances later in life. Painkillers essentially effect teens like a gateway drug.
Naturally, when teens begin experimenting with painkillers, they take them orally. This experimental behavior is fun for a while and often leaves the teen feeling high and adventurous. Eventually, however, the teen will grow bored of the feeling painkillers provide and seek something new. Dangerous experiments involving snorting painkillers like Vicodin, Percocet, and Ocycontin can sometime begin. Snorting the drug can significantly enhance the lucid effects of the drug but the action also enhances the risks of the experimentation. Snorting the drug can result in breathing problems and it can also damage the nasal passages. The snorting of Oxycontin can cause the nasal passages to experience complete tissue death if done over a prolonged period. Like the effects of the drug and the side effects, withdrawal symptoms are also stronger when painkillers are snorted. They begin sooner and last longer, cause more breathing issues for the teen. The withdrawal symptoms can potentially cause heart problems if not inspected by a doctor.
Typically when teens experiment with painkillers there is a sequence they follow. First they experiment with the pill itself, then the dosage. Then they begin playing with the method in which the drug is taken and finally, when that no longer elicits the feeling they desire, they begin mixing the drug. Combining painkillers can be very dangerous. Each individual painkiller has its own side effects though many painkillers share some side effects in common. Some of them are dizziness, drowsiness, and slowed breathing. Drowsiness and slowed breathing are the most dangerous of any shared side effects among painkillers. The side effects are magnified when the painkillers are mixed and taken together. If the teenager does mix painkillers the potential to fall asleep, unable to be awoken, and their breathing slow to the point of stopping is very likely. In fact 10% of teens who experiment with mixing painkillers die because of this. Though the number seems small it is rising.
The effect of painkillers on teens in America effects more than just the pain they are in. Teens are impulsive and reckless by natures, and painkillers offer what is considered to be a fun recreation. Because of where they are in their development, teenagers do not think about the long-term consequences of using painkillers recreationally until it is too late. Painkillers effect teens in many ways because of this. They can be used for recreation by teens if not monitored. This can potentially set them up for substance abuse and a predisposition to addiction later in life. The boredom of overuse can lead teens to experimenting with how they take painkillers, the dosage, and the mixture. This can lead to breathing problems, heart problems, damaged tissue in the nasal cavity, addiction, and even death. It is important to know these effects so we can begin preventing the impact painkillers have on teens before their irresponsibility claims more lives.
Effects of Painkillers on TeensName:Institutional Affiliation:
The use of painkillers, today, is very common. After surgeries, injuries, or a variety of other things, many patients are prescribed painkillers to help them recover. Nearly half of the people that are prescribed painkillers after such ailments are teenagers. However, almost half of the teenagers taking painkillers were not prescribed them by a doctor; they are taking them recreationally (Sussman et al., 2012). What are the effects these painkillers have on teens? The most obvious effect is to get rid of pain. However, painkillers are also habit-forming, meaning teens often end up abusing them recreationally. Using painkillers orally leads teens to other, more eclectic ways of taking the drug, such as snorting. Most frighteningly, because many painkillers cause slowed breathing and because teens sometimes mix painkillers, they can cause a teenager to die. Painkillers have many serious effects on teens (Sussman et al., 2012).
Of course, the primary effect painkillers have on teens is to make pain subside as well as to make recovery easier. Through this process teens often discover that the lucid effect painkillers offer is very pleasant, and they continue to experiment with it recreationally. According to an article published in Journal of Drug information and entitled “One-Year Prediction of Pain Killer Use among At-Risk Older Teens and Emerging Adults” over half of teenagers using painkillers abuse them for recreational purposes; they do not need them for medical reasons (Sussman et al., 2012). They use them only as a source to get high. Continuous use of these painkillers to get high may seem like harmless fun but it is not. Painkillers are habit-forming, and teens can quickly become addicted to them. Furthermore, prolonged use of painkillers for recreational purposes is proven to psychologically impact teens, predisposing them to addictive behavior toward other substances later in life (2012). Painkillers essentially effect teens like a gateway drug.
Naturally, when teens begin experimenting with painkillers, they take them orally. This experimental behavior is fun for a while and often leaves the teen feeling high and adventurous. Eventually, however, the teen will grow bored of the feeling painkillers provide and seek something new. Studies published in “Prescription Painkillers: History, Pharmacology, and Treatment” have shown that dangerous experiments involving snorting painkillers like Vicodin, Percocet, and Oxycontin can sometimes begin. Snorting the drug can significantly enhance the lucid effects of the drug but the action also enhances the risks of the experimentation. Snorting the drug can result in breathing problems and it can also damage the nasal passages. The snorting of Oxycontin can cause the nasal passages to experience complete tissue death if done over a prolonged period. Similar to the the effects of the drug and the side effects, withdrawal symptoms are also stronger when painkillers are snorted. They begin sooner and last longer than if the painkillers were taken orally, and can cause more breathing issues for the teen. The withdrawal symptoms can potentially cause heart problems if not inspected by a doctor (2013).
Typically when teens experiment with painkillers there is a sequence they follow, as observed by the authors of “How Predictors of Prescription Drug Use Vary By Age” published in Journal of Drug Issues. First they experiment with the pill itself, then the dosage. Then they begin playing with the method in which the drug is taken and finally, when that no longer elicits the feeling they desire, they begin mixing the drug. Combining painkillers can be very dangerous. Each painkiller has its own side effects though many painkillers share some side effects in common. Some are dizziness, drowsiness, and slowed breathing. Drowsiness and slowed breathing are the most dangerous of any shared side effects among painkillers. Arkes and Iguchi, authors of How Predictors of Prescription Drug Use Vary By Age” also observed that the side effects are magnified when the painkillers are mixed and taken together (2008). If a teenager does mix painkillers the potential to fall asleep, unable to be awoken, and their breathing slow to the point of stopping is very likely. In fact, 10% of teens who experiment with mixing painkillers die because of this. Though the number seems small, it is rising.
The effect of painkillers on teens in America effects more than just the pain they are experiencing. Teens are impulsive and reckless by natures, and painkillers offer what is considered to be a fun recreation. Because of where they are in their development, teenagers do not think about the long-term consequences of using painkillers recreationally until it is too late. Painkillers effect teens in many ways because of this. They can be used for recreation by teens if not monitored. This can potentially set them up for substance abuse and a predisposition to addiction later in life. The boredom of overuse can lead teens to experimenting with how they take painkillers, the dosage, and the mixture. This can lead to breathing problems, heart problems, damaged tissue in the nasal cavity, addiction, and even death. It is important to know these effects so we can begin preventing the impact painkillers have on teens before the effects of painkiller abuse claims more lives.
References
Arkes, J., & Iguchi, M. Y. (2008). How Predictors of Prescription Drug Abuse Vary by Age. Journal of Drug Issues, 1027-1043.
Seppala, M. D., & Rose, M. E. (2013). Prescription Painkillers: History, Pharmacology, and Treatment. Chicago: Hazelden Publishing.
Sussman, S., Rohrbach, L. A., Spruijt-Metz, D., Barnett, E., Lisha, N., & Sun, P. (2012). One-Year Prediction of Pain Killer Use among At-Risk Older Teens and Emerging Adults. Journal of Drug Education, 195-210.
