Prescription Controlled Dangerous Substances. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) classified prescription drug abuse as the fastest growing drug problem in the United States. Rates of prescription drug misuse (when an individual uses a medication for a reason other than prescribed or in a different manner than prescribed, or when an individual takes a medication not prescribed for him or her) and abuse are increasing at alarming rates, especially among youth. Because these medications are incorrectly believed to be safer because they are manufactured by companies, the dangers and potential for abuse associated with these medications is often overlooked or ignored. Access to prescription CDS is also easier than with traditional CDS, as they are often located in the home medicine cabinet. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a federal health agency, reported that in 2015, 18.9 million people in the United States age 12 or older had misused prescription psychotherapeutic drugs, including CDS such as pain relievers, tranquilizers, stimulants and sedatives, in the past year. Moreover, the prevalence of prescription medication has led to an increase in misuse of prescription CDS stimulants among youth as study aids, and among prescription opioids and benzodiazepines as party drugs. Educators must be mindful that, absent a filed certification and medical plan as described in Article 4.1, students should not be in possession of CDS prescription medication on school grounds. Educators and law enforcement must focus on evidence-based prevention education and be alert for signs and symptoms of misuse and abuse in our students.
