New Jersey Teens Using More Prescription Drugs

Recent data from state and federal organizations has shown that prescription drug use and abuse is high among New Jersey teens—and rising. Angelo Valente, the executive director of the Partnership For A Drug Free New Jersey, says that teens are mixing alcohol with drugs like Percocet, Vicodin, Oxycontin, Xanax, and more. Studies have shown that most teens who use prescription drugs get them out of home medicine cabinets. “70% said they got in from a friend or relative,” said the executive director of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence of Middlesex County.

Valente went on to say that emergency room visits among young prescription drug users in New Jersey have more than doubled in the past five years. And in the United States, one person dies every 19 minutes from pill abuse, according to the Center for Disease Control. These troubling statistics just highlight how dangerous prescription medication can be when it’s used in ways that doctors don’t condone. If you have any Percocet, Vicodin, Oxycontin, Xanax, or other prescription medications left over from use, you should dispose of them right away.

If you or a young person you know might have a problem with prescription drugs dependence or abuse, you should seek help now. Thankfully, there is good help available. Detoxification and behavioral therapy have proven to be effective in treating drug dependence. Addicts are often unable to complete treatment on their own or with family members, so it’s very important to seek the right treatment center. At Seabrook, we customize our treatment plans to individual patient’s needs, so you know the help you’re getting is right for you or a loved one. Seabrook has rehabilitation centers in New Jersey (NJ), Pennsylvania (PA), and an outpatient center in New York (NY). Contact Seabrook today for any questions about drugs, addiction, and treatment.