We teach our kids to say no to drugs, but did you teach them about the dangers of prescription drug abuse?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more teens abuse prescription drugs more than any illicit drug other than marijuana - more than cocaine, heroine, and methamphetamine combined!
It’s not just your kids you need to worry about, from the baby crawling to the teenager who babysits for you, your own teenager and their friends, even the workmen in your house. If your medications are kept in the bathroom, it’s very easy for someone to access them behind the privacy of the closed door.
This weekend, take time to sort through all your medications, prescription and over-the-counter. Gather together all the expired and unused medications into one bag or box. Tape it up and take it on April 30th from 10am to 2pm to one of the legal collection sites.
The rest of the medications that you still use and are not expired should get put into a medication lock box or in a locked cabinet or drawer in your bedroom or kitchen. Also, take this opportunity to educate your kids about medication safety and drug abuse. If you take the time to talk to them, they will listen.
Help combat the problem of prescription drug abuse. Talk to your neighbors, daycare provider, and family members. Our Emergency Room Physicians are doing their part to stop this epidemic of prescription drug abuse.
Now it’s time to do your part...and bring out your meds!
For more information and resources:
- Drug Enforcement Agency’s Prescription Drug Fact Sheet
- National Prescription Drug Take Back Day
