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When you think about teens and drugs, pot and alcohol come quickly to mind. But if you take a peek in Answers, you'll see that teen prescription drug abuse is also a huge problem. It's scary to read some of the comments from moms who are living it.
"I knew a girl who overdosed and died on methadone two years ago. She was 17."
"I'm dealing with it now. My 16 year old and three of her friends were caught exchanging pills."
"I'm 18 now. When I was maybe 13 or 14 I knew A LOT of people that would take like five Lortabs and other crap. I wasn't into that crap but had some friends that did and knew a lot that did."
Right now I'm thankful for the temper tantrums and fights over toys.
Dr. Drew Pinsky from the group Stop Medicine Abuse Now, offered to answer some specific questions I had about this growing problem. You might know Dr. Pinsky from television -- he produces and hosts the VH1 show Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew and the MTV show Sex ... With Mom and Dad.
Here's my interview with him ...
What exactly is medicine abuse and how common is it really?
Recent studies suggest that one out of ten, that's 2.4 million teens, abuse over-the-counter cough medicines to get high.
What medicines do teens like?
They're mostly interested in getting the highest dose of dextromethorphan (DM or DXM) possible -- that's the drug that they use in 25-50 times the recommended dose. DMX is found most commonly in cough medications including syrups, lozenges and tablets. They may drink several bottles of cough syrup, ingest multiple blister packs of DXM-containing pills, or even access the raw commercial form of DXM online.
Should parents hide these medications or always keep them out of site?
Hiding is in my opinion, never a good idea when it comes to parenting. It's not about hiding, it's about making a statement. Locking away is not hiding, and I'm all for locking things away. You're sending a clear message when you lock something away that you're handling it with care and concern.
What are the top signs that your child may be taking or abusing medicine?
Finding any of the paraphernalia associated with the drug is a very big tip-off, including empty bottles or blister packs should be a warning to parents. Kids go to great lengths to hide these sorts of behaviors, so if they become sloppy enough to come to your attention, that's a very significant sign.
Above and beyond that, signs and symptoms of OTC cough medicine abuse are the same as any other mental health issue. If there are drops in grades, changes in peer groups, appearance, and sleep cycle and these symptoms persist for more than a few weeks, that should be a warning to parents. When you add that to the discovery of paraphernalia it's no longer a prevention issue -- now it's time for professional intervention.
What's the potential for harm?
This is a safe and effective medication, so when used properly fatalities and addiction are unheard of. When used at 50 times the recommended doses as some teens are doing, there's always the potential for harm. Is it common? No. But it's certainly a significant risk when abused.
DXM abuse can cause what we call "serotonin syndrome," when DXM is combined with a common class of anti-depressants and can cause a fatal reaction. DXM also alters the liver's metabolic rate, which can change the way the body metabolizes other medications and can produce a deadly reaction. While it can become addictive, that's a relatively uncommon complication.
Where can parents turn for help and more information?
There are some great resources for parents at Stop Medicine Abuse -- everything from how to talk with your teen, potential signs of abuse, and tips for preventing this behavior. The manufacturers of these medicines have also put a warning on all packages of products containing DXM, so parents can look for this icon to help identify which products they should be monitoring closely.
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Do you keep certain tempting medications locked away from your teen or do you keep them with the rest of your prescription drugs?
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Comments (5)
This is soo true. When I was in high school, my mother married a man who we went to live with and he had recently lost his ill wife and all of her medications were still in the house. I was an ignorant teen thinking it'd be ok to take a few. It turned into a habit and I would constantly go to the cabinet and grab me a handful and take it to my room.
It really has become a problem for teenagers. It is available to them and a lot less scary than crack dealers or people of the sort. Instead, it is your parents and they are oblivious for the most part.
This is very true. Im 16 years old and I was very depressed as a child so of course i got into bad habbits. One habbit i regret was takeing Ecstacy. Almost in every high school kids are doing it. Now that i am pregnant and 9 months sober, i hope everything goes alright with my baby.
But mothers with childern in high school, if your son or daughter is coming hope more hyper than usual, lauder than usual, passes out once they get home, talking to themselve, you might want to check on their daily routine. I wished my mother would have noticed befor I got addicted to drugs. I know i may be young but take it from one who has been threw it.
About half the parents who have a teen that does druggs of any sort or has violent actions are either oblivious or for the most part denial. never under estimate the power of denial parents who prefer to say their child is perfect and would never do such a thing even when the evidence is staring them in the face because if they face the problem their child has a problem with these issues then they fear that is a refection on them as a parent or worry what other people will think so they would rather be enablers and turn a blind eye. they care more about this than getting their child help and the well being of their child. the one person that the child needs a helping had from the most gives none. It's sad but I have seen it too many times to count. same goes with teens that are sex addicts or internet porn additions. Never ever under estimate the power of denial.