TEENS ABUSING RX DRUGS

The Birmingham Youth Assistance and Birmingham Bloomfield Community Coalition are collaborating to bring noted speaker, Dr. Carol Boyd, PhD, MSN, FAAN to the community to discuss the teen abuse of Rx drugs. The event is on Thursday, October 25, at 7:00PM, and will be held in the Little Theatre at Seaholm High School, 2436 Lincoln Road, in Birmingham. The event is free and open the public.

Teens are engaging in the risky behavior of abusing prescription drugs for a variety of reasons. In some cases, they do it to party and get high, but also to manage stress or regulate their lives. Some are abusing prescription stimulants used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to provide additional energy and the ability to focus when they’re studying or taking tests. Many teens are abusing pain relievers and tranquilizers to cope with academic, social or emotional stress. National statistics are showing that 1 in every 6 teens have admitted to abusing prescription drugs at least once in their life. The Birmingham Bloomfield Community Coalition will be sharing their recent statistics of teenage Rx drugs abuse in our community.

“BYA and BBCC, both local nonprofits, recognize the importance of empowering our community members through sharing knowledge. The popularity of teens using prescription drugs for the wrong reasons is astonishing. Our two organizations have invited internationally recognized scholar, Dr. Carol Boyd along with the Coalition’s Student Board members to address this rapidly growing issue.” Said Nancy Johnson, Family Ed Chair for Birmingham Youth Assistance. 

Executive Director, Carol Mastroianni of Birmingham Community Coalition added: “Prescription drug use by our teens is a critical and timely issue to address. The more we can work together, as a entire community, the better chance we will have to prevent further abuse of prescription, or any other type of drugs, by our youth.” Both organizations reinforce that the goal is to provide information to parents and other concerned citizens about the real dangers of medicine abuse and the actions that can be taken to prevent and respond to it.

Dr. Carol Boyd is Research Professor, Substance Abuse Research Center & Institute for Research on Women and Gender; Deborah J. Oakley Professor of Nursing & Women’s Studies, University of Michigan. Dr. Boyd is an internationally recognized scholar who has studied drug use for more than three decades. Dr. Boyd’s most recent work centers on gender differences in prescription medication misuse in adolescents.

The mission of the Birmingham Youth Assistance is the prevention and reduction of juvenile delinquency, child abuse and child neglect by providing positive alternatives to children and families through a partnership of the Oakland County Circuit Court-Family Division, the Birmingham School District, sponsoring municipalities (Birmingham, Beverly Hills, Bingham Farms, and Franklin) and volunteer citizens.www.birminghamyouthassistance.org. 248-642-4882

The mission of the Birmingham Community Coalition is to raise awareness and mobilize the entire community to prevent the abuse of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, with a primary focus on our youth. www.bbcoalition.org 248-203-4615