Prescription Drugs / Generation RX

Prescription Drugs / Generation RX Generation RX Exposes the Dangers of Over-Medicating America's Children There is a disturbing trend in the United States today. Millions of children are being exposed to, and later becoming addicted to, prescription drugs. The film Generation RX explores the ease with which many psychiatrists and physicians prescribe dangerous and potentially addictive medications for a variety of disorders. Understanding the message of this film means understanding an ugly truth within modern American culture -- the sedation of an entire generation.

It is a sickening thing to think that Western culture is reducing its children to addicts. The movie Generation RX revealed controversial issues within the habit of psychiatrists and psychologists simply handing out dangerous and addictive prescription medications. The film highlights the sometimes unnecessary use of addictive drugs which turn children into decrepit individuals who are unable to fully live a functioning life due to their sedations and growing addictions, (Miller 2008).

It is a shocking glimpse into a touchy subject in American culture, which still has not fully been understood to most naive parents and children forced to endure life under constant medication. This feeding of prescriptions to young children only set them up for a later life of addiction and other issues. It stifles their true natures and cripples them into addicts. Prescription drug abuse is a major problem in our society, and one that is not going away.

According to some studies prescription drug abuse is much more common than most parents would like to believe. In fact, many report it to be the "the only illicit drug that is abused more frequently is marijuana," (National Drug Intelligence Center 1). The theme of the film help cast a light on a very grim future for many who are being intentionally medicated by doctors and physicians with prescription drugs to help combat behavioral and learning disorders among other conditions.

The numbers of youth now abusing prescription drugs as a result of their introduction through prescriptions are continuing to climb. Some studies report the number of teens abusing prescription drugs at about one in five, with one in teen even abusing cough medicine (Partnership for a Drug Free America 1). It is a scary thing to think of all the potential addicts who are being prescribed medications every day.

Despite the commonplace practice of over-zealously prescribing medications, it proves to have serious consequences within the lives of young addicts and their families. There comes a point where the medication becomes an addiction, and this is occurring with far too many American youth. In fact, "an estimated 4.7 million Americans used prescription drugs nonmedically for the first time in 2003," an alarming number (National Institute on Drug Abuse 1). The potential for medicated youth to begin abusing their medication is great and shows very little chance of slowing down.

Prescriptions are everywhere, and even adult prescriptions are easily accessed by youth abusing the wide variety of drugs. The 2003 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) found four percent of America's youth "ages 12 to 17 reported nonmedical use of prescription medications in the past month," (National Institute on Drug Abuse 1). Children given medications at a young age also have a greater chance of developing later addictions. The same NSDUH survey found that the "Rates of abuse were highest among the 18-25 age group," at around six percent.

What we do to our children affects them throughout the rest of their lives. Force feeding them into prescription addiction can potentially provide a horrible fight with addiction for a lifetime. Addiction is a difficult battle to face, and a road which many are actually placed on through over-medication. It is a disease which "involves the repeated and excessive use of chemical substances to achieve a certain effect," (Belmonte 1). After being medicated for an entire childhood, it creates an addiction to the medication which then transfers on into adulthood.

Thus, adults who had been over-medicated turn to further medications or illicit abuse of prescriptions. Along wit causing damage to relationships and professional endeavors, addiction may also cause withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms "depending on the drug, can include shakes, chills, severe aches and pains, difficulty sleeping, agitation, depression, and even hallucinogens or psychosis," (Belmonte 1). It is a difficult fate for many who initially had no say in the cause o their addiction. Understanding over-medication as a root cause in problems later in.