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Help Stop Perscription Drug Abuse
Discard YOUR Expired and Unused Medicine This Saturday
Although teens are turning away from street drugs, now there's a new threat and it's from the family medicine cabinet: The abuse of prescription (Rx) and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. Parents and caregivers are the first line of defense in addressing this troubling trend.
Friends and the family medicine cabinet are the major sources of these drugs. More than seventy percent of people who abuse prescription painkillers say they get them from family or friends. Others may abuse their own prescription medicine. Teens also report that these drugs are not hard to find. About 40 percent of 12th graders say that painkillers are fairly or very easy to get, and more than half say the same of stimulants.
Where should you look to make sure prescription drugs are not readily available?
- At Home: A teen may scout his own home first if he's looking to get high from prescription or over-the-counter drugs.
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With Friends: Talk with the parents in other households your teen has access to about safeguarding medications.
- With Relatives: Grandparents may be another source of prescription drugs for teens. In fact, 10 percent of teens say they took drugs from friends or relatives without asking.
Rid your home of any expired or unused medicines this Saturday at a drop-off center in your area. Bring painkillers, such as those drugs prescribed after surgery; depressants, such as sleeping pills or anti-anxiety drugs; and stimulants, such as those drugs prescribed for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Every day an estimated 2,500 youth age 12-17 abuse a pain reliever for the first time.
There are serious health risks related to abuse of prescription drugs. A single large dose of prescription or over-the-counter painkillers or depressants can cause breathing difficulty that can lead to death. Stimulant abuse can lead to hostility or paranoia, or the potential for heart system failure or fatal seizures. Even in small doses, depressants and painkillers have subtle effects on motor skills, judgment, and ability to learn.
The abuse of OTC cough and cold remedies can cause blurred vision, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, coma, and even death. Many teens report mixing prescription drugs, OTC drugs, and alcohol. Using these drugs in combination can cause respiratory failure and death.
Prescription and OTC drug abuse is addictive. Between 1995 and 2005, treatment admissions for prescription painkillers increased more than 300 percent.
Make a point of cleaning out your medicine cabinet this Saturday and dispose of all unused or expired medication safely at the drop-off center in your area. Find your local drop-off center.
Pick up the phone and dial 2-1-1 when you need help.
You are encouraged to dial “2-1-1” 24 hours a day, seven days a week if you need help in understanding and finding available assistance services. Language translation and TTY services are offered to any caller. You can also
search the database of services in your local community or Chat Live with an experienced community resource specialist. 2-1-1 will help identify with you the best local resources to fit your individual needs during times of financial distress or for life’s everyday situations.
If you know of additional resources that would be appropriate to include, please let us know by contacting us via e-mail at info@nj211.org.
Research Sources Included
http://operationmedicinecabinetnj.com//index.php
http://www.theantidrug.com/drug-information/otc-prescription-drug-abuse/prescription-drug-dangers/default.aspx
Page last modified 11.11.09
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