Paracetamol abuse among adolescents: pharmacists warn

The paracetamol it is a medicine used to treat the symptoms of flu and as a pain reliever, capable of lowering fever and relieving headaches. A common drug and so widespread that sometimes it is used too much, sometimes even improperly. In particular, it is becoming increasingly widespread a tendency towards intentional abuse of paracetamol among adolescents. It all stemmed from a social challenge to test resistance and seek its psychoactive effects.

Paracetamol abuse risks among adolescents

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The Italian Medicines Agency raised the alarm about this trend in the wake of warnings coming from their counterparts in several European countries. In Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and France, the social challenge with paracetamol shots to show videos online and see who can resist the longest is said to be very widespread; three cases have recently been recorded in Belgium. This social challenge among adolescents between 12 and 17 years old fortunately it would not yet be so widespread in Italy, he explained Carlo Locatellidirector of the Poison Control Center of the Irccs Maugeri of Pavia and past-president of the Italian Society of ToxicologyHANDLE. But although the social challenge does not affect Italian boys and girls, theabuse of paracetamol it is equally widespread.

the abuse

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Since the pandemic period, cases of intentional intoxication among young people have shown no sign of decreasing. Overdose is sometimes unintentional while in other cases it is intentional and linked to impulsive gestures, considering this drug as little danger. This is why it is important to spread awareness of the risks of its abuse. The Paracetamol is one of the safest drugs that exist in the worldbut its abuse still involves risks, in particular the organ that risks the most serious damage is the liver, even among the main causes of transplantation of this organ, especially in children, is precisely theabuse of paracetamol. Pharmacists therefore warn children and families to monitor the use of this drug, avoid exceeding the recommended doses so as not to cause liver problems and not only that. Their advice is to immediately contact a poison control center in case of suspected overdose even in the absence of symptoms.