How Parents Can Prevent Prescription Drug Abuse

Recent surveys show that teens are abusing prescription medications in record numbers. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 70 percent of children age 12 and older say they got prescription drugs, not from a drug dealer, but from a friend or relative. For teens, peer pressure or wanting to escape emotional stress can lead to experimentation, which can in turn lead to abuse, addiction and sometimes to a drug overdose.Parents, teachers and other adults who influence teen behavior stand the best chance of recognizing and dealing with these dangerous behaviors. “Parents and grandparents take great pains to prevent poisoning in young children by keeping household chemicals out of the reach,” according to Pasierb. “The same approach needs to be taken to safeguard medications in the home.