Prescription Drugs (psychotherapeutic drugs)
Although many of the drugs described on this site have no legitimate, therapeutic purpose, psychotherapeutic drugs do have a legitimate use when prescribed by a licensed medical doctor. Many of these prescription drugs, however, become drugs of abuse and are traded by adolescents. Teens who have been prescribed these types of medications may abuse them or trade them for the drugs prescribed to their peers.
What to Look for:
Prescription drug bottles (prescribed to someone else or label torn off)
Weight loss ("diet" pills)
Agitated or anxious
Sleepy or "out of it" (Xanax, Valium)
Pills missing for your medicine cabinet
Unidentified pills found in child's belongings
Prescription drugs abused by teens: Ritalin (often used as a study aid), Clonazepam or Klonopin, Ketamine, Fen-Phen (obtained in countries where it is not yet banned, such as Mexico), Valium, Xanax, antidepressants.
Slang: Prozac (greens, green and whites, zacs, pros, limes), Zoloft (Z's, zoomer, z-loft)
Video Presentation from the National Institute of Drug Abuse on the issue of prescription drug abuse in the United States (Real Video)
"Adolescents are particularly at risk of adverse reactions from hallucinogen use as they enter puberty, a time of rapid physical and emotional changes. Hallucinogens are particularly dangerous because the effects are so unpredictable. They can cause violent behavior in some and suicidal tendencies in others. As memory, perception, and judgment are clouded under the influence, users are at risk of severe injuries, overdose, and death from drowning, burns, falls, and car accidents. Sometimes, hallucinogen use can uncover severe mental disorders, such as schizophrenia or severe depression." Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse.
