More than 4,000 children and young adults begin experimenting with prescription drugs every day. Currently, more than seven million Americans abuse prescription drugs. Prescription medications can help control disease, heal illness and relieve pain when taken properly. But when others take medications not prescribed to them, they can become very dangerous.
October 27 is national Lock Your Meds Day, hosted by the National Family Partnership organization. Covenant Health would like to remind the community about how important it is to “lock your meds” in order to protect your loved ones.
What’s in your medicine cabinet, on your kitchen counter or in your purse? It is a natural habit to keep prescription medications and over-the-counter (OTC) cold and cough remedies handy for when you need them. What most people do not realize is that these everyday meds are also handy for your child to take without you knowing. Four out of 10 teens believe that prescription and OTC medicines are less addictive and dangerous than street drugs. Seventy percent of children, age 12 and older, who abuse pain relievers, obtain the medication from a friend or relative.
Adolescents believe that since the medicine was prescribed by a doctor, it is an inexpensive, legal way for them to get a “medically safe high.” Teens give many reasons for abusing prescription and OTC drugs. The common ones are:
- Relieve depression and anxiety
- Wanting to “fit in”
- Help them cope with life’s stresses
- Help them sleep better
- Increase their alertness and concentration
- Control their weight
- Self-medicate to relieve pain.
Many teens just want to experiment to escape their reality or try to make it more bearable.
When you are prescribed a medication by the doctor, the effects and dosage are closely monitored. When teenagers abuse medicines that are not prescribed to them, no one is monitoring their dosage or frequency of use. This can lead to addiction, poisoning or even death from an overdose.
Here’s what you can do to prevent the misuse of prescription and OTC medicines:
- Remove drugs from plain sight around the house. Lock them up in a place only you know about.
- Safeguard your medications by monitoring quantities and controlling access.
- Take inventory of all your meds and make sure nothing is missing.
- Set clear rules for your child’s prescriptions, such as not sharing with their friends and to always follow the proper dosage instructions.
- Warn your children about the dangers of taking prescription or OTC medications without a doctor’s supervision.
- Properly dispose of old, expired or unused medicine.
Show your loved one you care this October by safely locking up your meds.