One of the growing trends in teen drug use today is the abuse of over-the-counter (OTC) medications. There are many reasons why teenagers choose to abuse over-the-counter medications. One of the main reasons is because drug stores make it easier to get them rather than illegal drugs. Additionally, these over-the-counter medications are often called "safer" than illegal drugs. For most teens, using over-the-counter medications gives them “a thrill” or helps them stay awake while studying. Which is not a problem in their mind, but any time you consume over-the-counter medications or medications for something other than what they were created for, or take a higher than recommended dosage, you are abusing that medication . . Over-the-counter drug abuse is starting to play an increasingly important role in adolescent culture. Unfortunately, many of these teens fail to realize that they are endangering their well-being when they abuse over-the-counter medications. There are many over-the-counter medications that are abused. The top three over-the-counter medications abused are dextromethorphan, painkillers, and diet pills. Dextromethorphan is an active drug found in over a hundred over-the-counter sleep medications such as Robitussin and NyQuil. One in ten teenagers abuse cough medicine to get high. Medicines mixed with dextromethorphan are easy to find, affordable and one hundred percent legal. Getting your hands on this dangerous drug is often as easy as walking into the local pharmacy with a few dollars or rummaging through the medicine cabinet. And because it is found in over-the-counter medications, many teens naively assume that DXM cannot be harmful or dangerous to the body. Painkillers are also the most commonly used over-the-counter medications. Typically mixed with paracetamol, NSAIDs,...... middle of paper... previous treatment factors. A continuum of care that includes a personalized treatment regimen – addressing all aspects of an individual's life, including medical and mental health services – and follow-up options (for example, community- or community-based recovery support systems family) can be crucial to a person's health. success in achieving and maintaining a drug-free lifestyle. We Americans cannot police every person to prevent them from having an over-the-counter drug abuse problem, but we can take positive steps to assure them that it can and will be addressed. Over-the-counter drug abuse is a serious matter and should not be taken lightly. Living in denial about addiction is what most Americans do because they believe that since these are over-the-counter medications, they can be taken whenever they feel the need. Over-the-counter drug abuse is a big problem, so putting more effort into the cause can save many lives.