There is no doubt that prescription drug use and abuse by our nation’s youth is a serious problem. With statistics revealing that almost as many teens experiment with prescription medication as beer and other forms of alcohol it cannot be denied.
Now the million-dollar question is – what can you do to prevent your child from abusing prescription meds? As reported in trinidad-times.com.
What to Do
Parents need to think about their homes and what prescription and over-the-counter drugs they might have, where they’re kept and whether they would know if some were missing.
You should safeguard all drugs in your home by monitoring quantities and controlling access. You should set clear rules for teens about all drug use. This includes not sharing medicine and always following the medical provider’s advice and dosages.
Perhaps the best advice is to be a good role model for your child by following these same rules with your own medicines. You should properly conceal and dispose of old or unused medicines in the trash.
Proper disposal of unused medications is a must. Don’t flush them down the drain or toilet, because the chemicals in them can pollute the water supply. Instead, mix them with kitty litter or coffee grounds, seal them in a plastic bag and throw them in the trash. Always remove any personal, identifiable information from pill packages or prescription bottles before you throw them away. You should ask your friends and family to also safeguard their prescription drugs.
With peer pressure such an important factor in a teen’s decision to experiment with drugs it is smart to make an effort to get to know the parents of your kids’ friends, and make sure they know about the issues.
You should tell your children that the dangers of using prescription and OTC drugs far outweigh any alleged benefits. Make sure your message is clear – that these are dangerous drugs and are only intended for those with medical conditions requiring their use. Teens should be told that these are powerful drugs whose abuse can be just as dangerous as street drugs.
It might also be useful to take an online MIP class with your child. You cannot give them too much education.