Heroin and Opioid Addiction in Teens
Today’s opioid crisis knows no boundaries, especially when it comes to age. Centered Health, a Malibu located treatment center for adolescents struggling with addiction, reports that prescription and over the counter drugs, including prescription opioids, are among the most commonly abused drugs by 12th graders, after alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco. Opiates cover a huge variety of drugs, ranging from legal drugs such as fentanyl, codeine, and morphine to illegal drugs such as heroin and opium.
Most adults in treatment for opioid addiction started using illicit substances before the age of 18. These statistics clearly state that there is a need to effectively identify and treat addiction to opioids among young people in order to prevent the consequences of this disease from following them into adulthood, or worse, cutting their lives short. As the opioid abuse epidemic continues unabated in the U.S., people working at Centered Health say there simply aren’t enough resources to provide adequate treatment to those in the grips of addiction. That includes a dearth of medications being prescribed to assist in breaking the hold of powerful prescription painkillers and heroin.
Prescription opioids are medications that are chemically similar to endorphins – opioids that our body makes naturally to relieve pain – and also similar to the illegal drug heroin. Prescription opioids usually come in pill form and are given to treat severe pain—for example, pain from dental surgery, serious sports injuries, or cancer. Opioids are also commonly prescribed to treat other kinds of pain that last a long time (chronic pain), but it is unclear if they are effective for long-term pain.
When opioids are taken as prescribed medications by a medical professional, they are safe and pose no threat. However, dependence and addiction are considered as a potential risk factor when taking prescription opioids. These risks increase when these medications are misused. Prescription medications are some of the most commonly misused drugs by teens, after tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana.
Teens, whose brains are still developing, are particularly vulnerable to becoming addicted to alcohol and drugs including opioids and are also less likely than adults to have access to treatment programs and medications. The majority of drug treatment centers are geared toward adults, and far fewer providers prescribe medications recommended for treatment of opioid addiction to adolescents. Centered Health Malibu Ca is a licensed, residential mental health facility, specialized in behavior, anxiety, personality disorders, complex psychiatric disorders, and many co-occurring issues among teenagers.
Most adults in treatment for opioid addiction started using illicit substances before the age of 18. These statistics clearly state that there is a need to effectively identify and treat addiction to opioids among young people in order to prevent the consequences of this disease from following them into adulthood, or worse, cutting their lives short. As the opioid abuse epidemic continues unabated in the U.S., people working at Centered Health say there simply aren’t enough resources to provide adequate treatment to those in the grips of addiction. That includes a dearth of medications being prescribed to assist in breaking the hold of powerful prescription painkillers and heroin.Prescription opioids are medications that are chemically similar to endorphins – opioids that our body makes naturally to relieve pain – and also similar to the illegal drug heroin. Prescription opioids usually come in pill form and are given to treat severe pain—for example, pain from dental surgery, serious sports injuries, or cancer. Opioids are also commonly prescribed to treat other kinds of pain that last a long time (chronic pain), but it is unclear if they are effective for long-term pain.
When opioids are taken as prescribed medications by a medical professional, they are safe and pose no threat. However, dependence and addiction are considered as a potential risk factor when taking prescription opioids. These risks increase when these medications are misused. Prescription medications are some of the most commonly misused drugs by teens, after tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana.
Teens, whose brains are still developing, are particularly vulnerable to becoming addicted to alcohol and drugs including opioids and are also less likely than adults to have access to treatment programs and medications. The majority of drug treatment centers are geared toward adults, and far fewer providers prescribe medications recommended for treatment of opioid addiction to adolescents. Centered Health Malibu Ca is a licensed, residential mental health facility, specialized in behavior, anxiety, personality disorders, complex psychiatric disorders, and many co-occurring issues among teenagers.
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