Painkiller addiction is the largest rising threat to high schoolers today, medicine cabinets being a lot easier for the average teenager to access than a drug dealer. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, more than 6 million Americans use prescription medication for purposes other than their intended one. That is to say, for recreational purposes or to maintenance an addiction rather than to treat chronic pain. One out of every 10 teenagers says that they have used prescription pain meds for recreational purposes and these little pills are responsible for more overdose deaths than both heroin and cocaine combined.

Part of the problem with painkillers is that they don’t seem too dangerous, not like, for example, using a needle to inject yourself with something. This innocent face adds to their allure and also to the ease with which people become addicted.

This is why buprenorphine in the form of Subutex or Suboxone is such a great way to treat prescription med addiction. Without the negative connotations and stigma associated with an inpatient drug rehab program, withdrawal from pain meds can be done at home in a shorter amount of time and with less discomfort than if you just tried to quit cold turkey. Plus, it’s FDA approved for the treatment of painkiller addiction in teenagers over the age of 15.

Addictions psychiatrist and assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine Donna Yi, M.D. says: “As the supply and variety of painkillers increase, more people will try them for non-medical reasons, and some will become addicted. Increased awareness, new medications used to treat painkiller abuse and novel therapies offer hope for people struggling with painkiller abuse.”

Offering teenagers a chance to break their addiction without social stigma in a way that is medically safe and clinically proven gives them a second chance at an addiction-free life. Many drugs have the opposite effect on teenagers as they do on adults and, luckily, Suboxone and Subutex are not among this group. Teenagers over the age of 15 can enjoy the same anonymity and efficient treatment offered to adults at a time with stigmatizing labels can be most devastating.

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"Buprenorphine Offers Hope in the Face of Growing Painkiller Abuse" posted in Addiction, Addiction Recovery, Drug Withdrawal, Painkillers, Prescription Drug Addiction, Suboxone, Suboxone Treatment, Subutex.
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