Schools are another place apart from home where teens can access prescription drugs, since some students should take prescribed medications during the school day. Administrators and nurses of school should make sure that only those students with prescriptions should bring medications to campus. In order to make clear about prescription drug abuse among students, school leaders and health educators should explain about prescription drug abuse health risk surveys to students. Health educators should teach lessons to assist students in understanding the dangers of prescription drug abuse and improve the students’ skills to prevent illegal use of prescription drugs. Guest speakers can be welcomed to school in order to address students.
Most states have policies concerning student self-medication in schools. In many schools, students who take prescription medications and their parents should sign a self-medication agreement which revises the policies related to use of prescription medicine on campus and the effects of sharing medications with other students.
School nurses and school staff should lookout for the signs in student who might be abusing prescription drugs. The signs are loss of enthusiasm, irritability to criticism, unexcused absence, withdrawal from usual activities, sudden decline in academic performance, poor interest in hygiene or personal appearance, sudden change in friends group, compressed pupils, nausea, vomiting, respiratory depression (signs of pain reliever abuse), anxiety, delusions, pink skin, and heart pain with chest shaking (signs of stimulant abuse), slurred speech, dizziness, and respiratory depression (signs of depressant abuse).
Suggested Reading:
Level of Drugs Should Present In The Athlete’s Body
Infectious Diseases and Drug Abuse
Forbes’ List of Illegal Drug Capitals of America
Types Of Depression
More Chances of Bone Fractures for Non-Exercisers
Athletes and Performance Enhancing Drugs