Prescription Drug Abuse a Disturbing Trend Among Hispanic Youth

“Recent data show that abuse of prescription drugs such as pain-relievers and stimulants is a disturbing trend among Hispanic youth, and parents are not aware of the dangers. Today, the Deputy Drug Czar, Hispanic community leaders, and experts announced efforts to raise parent awareness in the Hispanic community and combat this troubling trend.

In 2005, one in five (21%), or 581,000 Hispanic teens, had tried prescription medication to get high. Abuse of psychotherapeutics among Hispanic youth increased by 16 percent from 2003-2004. Even more alarming, almost half (45%) of Hispanic teens believe that prescription medicines, even if they are not prescribed by a doctor, are much safer to use than illicit drugs.

Although research shows that Hispanic teens listen to their parents when it comes to drugs, almost a third of Hispanic youth (28%) say that in the last year their parents or grandparents never talked to them about drugs. And Hispanic parents are not as aware as other parents of the growing threat of prescription drug abuse. Only 32 percent of Hispanic parents see taking prescription medication to get high as a problem among teens. “

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