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Public officials, FDA debate overs sources of teen substance addictions

By Staff Writer

Substance abuse is a major public health problem among teenagers, sending thousands of people to the hospital each year and often necessitating rehab treatment. However, officials seem unsure what substances are the biggest cause of concern.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Advisory Committee is holding a hearing on Sept. 14 on abuse of cough and cold medicines, which could lead some 100 medications containing dextromethorphan to become available by prescription only or be sold from behind the counter.

However, The Center for Medicine in the Public Interest (CMPI) recently released a national Teen Substance Abuse survey, which polled officers and high school teachers across the nation and found that, in their view, alcohol and marijuana, followed by methamphetamine and cocaine, are of greatest concern.

In fact, a total of 70 percent of teachers indicated alcohol, while a similar percentage of police officers pointed to marijuana as the biggest sources of addiction.

As a result, CMPI vice president Robert Goldberg suggested shifting focus to "find common sense solutions and invest more resources in education," rather then restricting access to cold medicines during the flu season.

Whatever the sources of their addictions, teenagers and their caregivers may benefit from researching substance abuse programs for youth.