Gore son had common drugs

CHICAGO – Drug abuse experts say the arrest of Al Gore’s son underscores the growing problem of prescription drug abuse among America’s youth. College students use the stimulant Adderall, an attention deficit drug, to get a speedy high or pull all-nighters.

The other drugs police say they found in Al Gore III’s possession – marijuana, Xanax, Valium and Vicodin – also are campus favorites, experts say.

“Al Gore’s son is just like everyone else’s,” said Dr. Donald Misch, director of health services at Northwestern University in Evanston. “The only thing missing was the No. 1 abused drug, which is alcohol.”

Students commonly pair pills with beer and cigarettes, experts say. They trade tips about the effects of prescription drugs on networking sites like Facebook and trade pills they’ve stolen from home medicine cabinets, ordered on the Internet or taken from friends with legitimate prescriptions.

Prescription drug abuse among 18- to 25-year-olds rose 17 percent from 2002 to 2005, according to the White House drug policy office.

Young people mistakenly believe prescription drugs are safer than street drugs, doctors say. But prescription drug deaths are rising and students who abuse pills are more likely to drive fast, binge-drink and engage in other dangerous behaviors.

Nearly 60 percent of Americans who report abusing prescription drugs say they get them from friends or family, according to the 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

According to another survey, the 2005 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, there are 14.6 million marijuana users and 6.4 million prescription drug abusers, with most prescription drug abusers using painkillers such as Vicodin. Cocaine ranked third, with 2.4 million users.

Al Gore III, 24, was driving about 100 mph on the San Diego Freeway when he was pulled over Wednesday. He was arrested for illegally possessing marijuana and prescription drugs.

Former Vice President Al Gore said Thursday his son is getting treatment.