What Drugs are Abused?
Youth are generally abusing prescription drugs that fall into three categories. These categories are opioids, stimulants and central nervous system depressants. Opioids are more commonly known as: OxyContin (oxycodone), Demerol (meperidine) and Vicodin (hydrocodone), as well as others. These are medicinally used for treating pain, or relieving coughs or diarrhea. Opioids attach to opioid receptors in the central nervous system which prevents the brain from receiving pain messages. Stimulants of choice are Ritalin (methylphenidate) and Adderall (amphetamine/dextroamphetamine). These stimulants can be used to treat narcolepsy as well as ADHD. These stimulants increase brain activity therefore resulting in better alertness, energy and increased attention abilities. Central nervous system (CNS) depressants include: Nembutal (pentobarbital sodium), Valium (diazepam) and Xanax (alprazolam). CNS depressants are used in the treatment of anxiety, tension, panic attacks as well as sleep disorder
