Medicine Abuse and Your Teenager

Summer is coming and teens will have more free time on their hands. 

Parents need to learn as much as they can about over the counter (OTC) medicine abuse, it is just as risky and dangerous as street drugs.

What can you do?


We can all play a role in ending medicine abuse.  By working together, parents and grandparents, health care providers,  community leaders and educators can truly make a difference. Here are 7 things you can do to help:


1. Take The Pledge. Visit http://www.medicineabuseproject.org
2. Safeguard Your Medicine. Keep prescription medicine in a secure place, count and monitor the number of pills you have and lock up your medicine.
3. Dispose Properly of Your Unused Medicine. Learn how to safely dispose of medicine at home — and find a medicine take-back site near you.
4. Educate Yourself. Find helpful resources for Parents & Grandparents, Health Care Providers, Communities & Law Enforcement officials and Educators.
5. Share What You Know. If you’re a parent, share information with family, friends and neighbors. If you’re a doctor or other health care provider, share educational materials with your patients. If you’re a community leader or law enforcement official, share information with the people in your community. If you’re a teacher, school nurse or administrator, share information with the parents and students in your school.
6. If You Are a Parent: Talk to your kids about the risks of abusing prescription drugs and over-the-counter cough medicine. Children who learn a lot about the risks of drugs from their parents are up to 50 percent less likely to use drugs than those who do not get that critical message at home.
7. Get Help. If you think your child has a problem with prescription drugs or over-the counter cough medicine, please visit Time To Get Help or call our Parents Toll-Free Helpline to speak to a parent specialist at 1-855-DRUGFREE (1-855-378-4373).

Thank you for doing your part to help end the medicine abuse epidemic.

Source: Medicine Abuse Project

Popular posts from this blog

Teens Starting College: Transition Blues

Image
Mental illness continues to mystify the mainstream, and students already stressed and anxious about classes, relationships, jobs and activities end up suffering from the stigmas just as much as the conditions themselves. But they don’t have to nurture their pain in quiet. More and more individuals (students or not), their loved ones and organizations are speaking up in favor of psychological help in all its forms. The following list represents some of the most common conditions occurring on campuses globally, though by no means should it be considered a comprehensive glimpse at an issue far more broad and complex. Clinical Depression : At least 44% of college students have reported suffering from some degree of clinical depression — and the number only escalates from there as years tick past. Thanks to prevailing social stigmas regarding psychiatric help, only 23% of victims reported that they’d be comfortable discussing their treatment. Considering the amount of s
Read more

Teenage Mental Health Options

Image
Teenage mental health is a growing concern, since 2020 studies have revealed that adolescent depression and anxiety has doubled. This is also causing the rise of suicide ideation and   self-harm   as well as youth self-medicating.  Since 2001 we have helped  educate  parents regarding  mental health options   for troubled teens in addition to  therapeutic boarding schools . This is not a decision that is made lightly. Has your teenager’s behavior been  escalating  for  more than a year ? Are they becoming more withdrawn? Depressed or isolated? More common is the following: -Defiance (ADHD, ODD) -Anger, rage -Cell-phone addiction (self-destructs when the phone is removed) -School refusal (skipping classes) -Lacks motivation -Changing peer groups -Substance use (self-medicating) -Self-harm (relieves anxiety) -Change in eating habits -Poor hygiene   Your teenager may be suffering with mental health issues that need to be addressed as soon as possible. In many cases it could be  typical te
Read more

Sue Scheff: Should teachers befriend students on social networking sites?

Image
As today's generation is definitely the surf the waves of cyberspace, where do we draw the line? Should teachers befriend their students? Should student befriend their teachers? With the growth of Facebook while MySpace is still alive more and more people are signing up for social networking. Whether you Twitter or Facebook, chances are you will run into your kids and your kids may run into their teachers - virtually speaking. As parents should be the monitor for their child's online safety; Should the teacher be part of their off-line - off-campus life? Although there may be some teachers that are comfortable with befriending their students, many would prefer to keep their private lives just that - private. Teachers, as well as many others that either own a business or are employed, like to keep their business lives separate. However there are many that prefer the mix. Depending on your personal comfort level, you will know where you fit in. Learning to respect each
Read more