Most Teens Who Misuse Painkillers Aren't After a High, Study Finds

Newsday, November 13, 2013

"Most teens who misuse narcotic painkillers hope to get relief from pain, a new study reveals.
Researchers found that four out of five teens who misused prescription pain medications such as OxyContin or Vicodin by taking more than directed or using someone else's prescription cared less about getting high than they did about easing their discomfort.
Although research has shown that most teens given prescriptions for narcotic pain relievers use them properly, some young people do not. Sean McCabe and colleagues from the University of Michigan surveyed about 3,000 teens in 2011 and 2012 to determine why they abused these pain medications. They also took the teens' gender, race and ethnicity into account." Read More