As a parent and drug counselor I am critically aware and concerned about the need to keep teens away from prescription medications. I am not talking about the medications used in the manner in which they are prescribed by a legitimate doctor for a legitimate issue. I am talking about the gross abuse of drugs that get them buzzed or keep them alert.
So, just how do we prevent our nation’s youth from becoming addicted to prescription medication?
For teens, peer pressure or wanting to escape emotional stress can often lead to prescription drug experimentation, which in turn can lead to abuse, addiction and sometimes a drug overdose.
According to a recent survey, 70 percent of children age 12 and older say they got prescription drugs, not from a drug dealer, but from a friend or relative.
As hard as this might be to believe, more than 2,000 teens begin abusing prescription medications every day.
They believe that doctor-prescribed medicine is safer to experiment with than illegal drugs.
It is ironic because parents and grandparents take great pains to prevent poisoning in young children by keeping household chemicals out of the reach, yet the same approach has not been used with prescription medication.
Perhaps it is because we trust our kids and want to believe they would never raid our medicine cabinet. The fact of the matter is – it is better to be safe than sorry!
I encourage parents to lock up the medicine cabinet like they would a liquor cabinet. This is especially true when your teen has a party.
I also encourage parents to take an online Minor in Possession class with their teen. In addition to educating both of you, the material can also serve as a guideline and perpetual future reference.