Your teens may be on drugs, but more and more they’re likely to be on prescription drugs. According to the journal Pediatrics, the number of prescriptions written for controlled meds to adolescents and young adults has almost doubled since 1994.
From 1994-2007, according to data collected by physicians, clinics, and emergency departments, the proportion of visits resulting in prescriptions being written for teens (opioids, sedative-hypnotics, stimulants and other controlled substances) rose from 6.4% in 1994 to 11.2% in 2007. For young adults, the proportion increased from 8.3% to 16.1%. Back pain seems to be the leading complaint, representing 24% of prescriptions written for teens and 37% for young adults.
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