Growing academic pressure and family conflicts are pushing some Chinese teenagers toward the misuse of prescription medicines, with young people describing the drugs as a way to temporarily “escape reality.”
One teenager, identified by the BBC as Xiaomei, began misusing cough medication at the age of 14 after an older boy told her it would help her relax. She later experimented with other prescription medicines obtained online and through social-media chat groups.
For about two years, she took medicines that had not been prescribed to her, particularly when she felt overwhelmed by schoolwork, poor examination results or arguments with her parents.
“I was running away from reality,” she told the BBC.
The BBC reported hearing similar accounts from dozens of Chinese teenagers in online chat rooms. Some described deliberately taking excessive amounts of medicines to experience dizziness, numbness or hallucinations.
Experts say the intense pressure placed on Chinese students, who can spend much of their day studying, may contribute to anxiety and unhealthy coping behaviours.
The scale of the problem remains difficult to determine because official data is limited. However, Chinese authorities have introduced tighter controls on some medicines after concerns about their misuse by young people.
Despite the restrictions, the BBC reported that some medicines were still being offered through online networks, highlighting continuing challenges in preventing teenagers from accessing prescription drugs without medical supervision.
The growing trend has raised concerns about youth mental health, online drug markets and the need for stronger protection against the misuse of medicines.
BBC
