Prevention contributing to decline in teenage opioid, DXM abuse

 

BETHESDA, Md. — Use of cigarettes, alcohol and abuse of prescription pain relievers among teens has declined since 2013 while marijuana use rates were stable, according to the 2014 Monitoring the Future survey, released Tuesday by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. However, use of e-cigarettes, measured in the report for the first time, is high.

 

“With the rates of many drugs decreasing, and the rates of marijuana use appearing to level off, it is possible that prevention efforts are having an effect,” said NIDA director Nora Volkow. “It is now more important than ever for the public health community to continue to educate teens, parents, teachers, community leaders, the media and healthcare providers about the specific harms of drug use among teens, whose brains are still developing.”

 

“This year’s Monitoring the Future data show promising signs on the declining rates of adolescent substance use, and reinforce the need to continue efforts on prevention, treatment and recovery,” said National Drug Control Policy acting director Michael Botticelli. “The Obama administration remains steadfast in its commitment to reduce drug use and its consequences — and we know that the best way to reduce drug use is to prevent it from ever starting. I encourage parents, teachers, coaches and mentors to have a conversation with a young person in their lives about making the healthy decisions that will keep them on a path toward a successful future.”

 

The findings related to prescription and over-the-counter drug abuse continued positive downward trends in 2014. Past year use of narcotics other than heroin — which includes all opioid pain relievers — was reported by 6.1% of high school seniors, compared with 7.1% a year ago and markedly lower than the 2004 peak of 9.5%. Past year use of the opioid pain reliever Vicodin showed a significant five-year drop, with 4.8% of 12th graders using Vicodin for non-medical reasons, half of what it was just five years ago, at 9.7%.

 

There was also a drop in the past year use of cough-cold medicines containing dextromethorphan among eighth graders, with only 2% using them for non-medical reasons, down from 3.8% five years ago. 

 

“The results of this year’s Monitoring the Future survey demonstrate that prevention efforts make a difference,"

 stated Scott Melville, president and CEO for the Consumer Healthcare Products Association. “Our teen education campaign, in collaboration with the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, highlights the social disapproval and side effects of cough medicine abuse behaviors. This year, we expanded our outreach to teens by launching a mobile app called DXMLabworks and a revamped, mobile- and search-optimized website called WhatIsDXM.com," he said. "To date, 5.5 million teens have directly engaged with campaign content by watching, downloading, playing, sharing and commenting."

 

By contrast, past year non-medical use of the stimulant Adderall — often prescribed for ADHD — remained relatively steady, at 6.8% for high school seniors. The survey continues to show that most teens get these medicines from friends or relatives and to a lesser degree from their own prescriptions.

 

These 2014 results are part of an overall two-decade trend among the nation’s youth. The MTF survey, which measures drug use and attitudes among eighth, 10th and 12th graders, is funded by NIDA and is conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. NIDA is part of the National Institutes of Health.

 

Overall, 41,551 students from 377 public and private schools participated in this year's MTF survey. Since 1975, the survey has measured drug, alcohol and cigarette use and related attitudes in 12th graders nationwide. Eighth and 10th graders were added to the survey in 1991. Survey participants generally report their drug use behaviors across three time periods: lifetime, past year and past month. Questions also are asked about daily cigarette and marijuana use.