Attitude drives behavior. Many teens and adults have a false sense of security about prescription and OTC drugs: “They are medicine, so they are safe.” This attitude leads teens to believe that using these drugs is not dangerous, or at least not as dangerous as using drugs like methamphetamine or heroin. This in turn leads them to believe that using a medicine without a prescription once in a while is not harmful, that abusing prescription pain killers will not cause addiction, and that getting high from cough syrup isn’t risky.
There are additional reasons for these attitudes: Aggressive marketing builds awareness of product availability, but not negative consequences of misuse or abuse, and messages about “appropriate” use do not educate people about the negative outcomes.
TEENS ABUSING MEDICINES? THE FOUR "A'S"
- Availability: The sheer number of prescription and OTC medications that have potential for abuse is staggering and they are being used more frequently which increases availability.
- Access: They are easy to get: From the internet
- From the family and neighborhood medicine cabinet
- From friends
- Awareness: Teens know more about prescription drugs than ever before because advertising and the internet have made them more visible.
- Attitude: There is the belief that less risk is associated with using prescription and OTC medicines even though they can be just as dangerous as any illegal drug if used inappropriately.
COMMONLY ABUSED PRESCRIPTION AND OTC DRUGS
- Opioids: Narcotic painkillers (example: Morphine, Codeine, Oxycodone)
- Stimulants: Prescribed to treat narcolepsy and attention deficit or hyperactivity disorder (example: Adderall, Ritalin)
- Central nervous system depressants: Used to treat anxiety and sleep disorders (example: Xanax, Valium)
- Dextromethrophan (OXM): A cough depressant
Many parents don’t understand the behavior of intentionally abusing medicine to get high and are not discussing the risks of the behavior with their children. Using medicine to get high is no safer than abusing alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, or other illegal drugs.
According to the Partnership at DrugFree.org, teens who report that they learn a lot about the risks of drugs from their parents are 50% less likely to use them, yet fewer than one-third of teens say they “learn a lot about the risks of drugs” from their parents.
Parent have a strong influence on the choices their children make and by taking time to be informed and talk with their children about prescription and over-the-counter drug abuse, they have an opportunity to help their children make healthy choices.
WHAT CAN PTA DO?
Talk to your kids about drugs! Conduct parenting sessions, workshops, meetings that parents can attend and learn how to talk to their kids about drugs. The Utah Council for Crime Prevention has a DVD titled “How to Talk to Your Kids About Drugs.” They are available in English and Spanish. There are accompanying brochures that can be distributed to parents at these sessions.
PARENTS: THE ANTI-DRUG
A prescription for parents on preventing prescription and over-the-counter drug abuse among teens:
- Educate yourself and your teen about the risks.
- Keep track of quantities.
- Talk to friends, relatives, and school administration.
- Follow directions carefully.
- Discard old or unused medications.
- Monitor your teen’s time online. Teens today have access to the Internet through various channels, including computers, cell phones, and personal digital assistants. Set a time limit on your teens. Many teens point to personal and family stress as well as boredom as reasons they abuse Rx and OTC drugs.
- Be observant.
Information was adapted from Growing Up Drug-Free: A Parent’s Guide to Prevention, developed by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America for the U.S. Department of Education.