WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT CHILDREN AND PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

From 2005 to 2007, 42 Orange County youth died of an accidental overdose caused by prescription or over-the-counter drugs compared to 38 who died of an accidental overdose caused by street drugs (OC Sheriff’s Department).

For more information call 714.441.0807 or visit http://cspinc.org/path. You can also visit our web page at Facebook.com “Good Meds; Bad Behavior” to learn more about prescription and over-the-counter drug abuse.

WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?

Communities across the nation are seeing an increase in youth and adolescents abusing prescription and over-the-counter medications, and Orange County is no exception to this trend. Orange County youth abusing prescription and over-the-counter drugs has caused an upward trend of deaths and emergency room visits within a three year span from 2005-2007.

Of most concern is when children see their parents, friends, and family using these drugs prescribed by a doctor or available at local retail stores and are mislead to believe these drugs are safe to use, even inappropriately. Additionally, prescription and over-the-counter medications are widely available and teens are easily obtaining them because they are either free or inexpensive. According to the 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 64% of teens who abused these drugs reported getting, buying or stealing them from friends or relatives, often without their knowledge.

TIPS FOR PREVENTING PRESCRIPTION AND OVER-THE-COUNTER DRUG ABUSE

Think about your home. What prescriptions and over-the-counter drugs do you have? Where are they kept? Would you know if some were missing? The good news is that you can take steps immediately to limit access to these drugs and help keep your child or your child’s friends drug free:

TIP 1: SAFEGUARD ALL DRUGS AT HOME, MONITOR QUANTITIES AND CONTROL ACCESS.
Take note of how many pills are in a bottle or pill packet and keep track of refills. This includes every member of the household’s medication.

TIP 2: SET CLEAR “NO USE” GUIDELINES FOR YOUR CHILDREN ABOUT ALL DRUGS, INCLUDING NOT SHARING MEDICINE AND ALWAYS USE AS PRESCRIBED.
Talk to your child about the dangers of using prescription and over-the-counter drugs. Be sure your child only uses prescription and over-the-counter drugs as directed. This includes taking the proper dosage and not taking other substances without a medical provider’s approval. Children should never take prescription or over-the-counter medication with street drugs or alcohol.

TIP 3: PROPERLY CONCEAL AND DISPOSE OF OLD OR UNUSED MEDICINE.
• Check to see if your local police department has a prescription drop off center where you can take any unused medication or visit nodrugsdownthedrain.org for locations throughout California to drop off unused medications.

• Mix unused medication with an undesirable substance (e.g., coffee grounds, kitty litter) and put the mixture in an empty bag and then throw it in the trash. It’s best not to flush the medication down the toilet or drain because the chemicals can pollute the water supply. Also, remove any identifiable information off the prescription bottles or pill packages before throwing them away.

TIP 4: ASK FRIENDS AND FAMILY TO SAFEGUARD THEIR MEDICATION AS WELL.
Make sure your friends and relatives monitor their own medicine cabinets as well. Talk to families where you child hangs out as well. If you don’t know the parents of your child’s friends, then make an effort to get to know them.

TIP 5: BE A GOOD ROLE MODEL BY FOLLOWING THESE SAME RULES WITH YOUR MEDICINES.
Examine your own behavior and set a good example. Avoid sharing your medication and always follow your medical provider’s instructions.

CSP~Project PATH is funded by the County of Orange Health Care Agency –
Alcohol and Drug Education and Prevention Team