Drugs of Abuse May Be Closer to Home Than You Realize

                You used to worry about teens getting involved with illegal drugs.  But the new drug threat to teens today is likely to be in your house already…and you might no think it's dangerous at all.

                Teens are taking prescription pain relievers and over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold medicines just to get high.  And they're getting them easily from their own homes, or the homes of other relatives and friends.  The following is a list common places teens can get prescription and OTC drugs.

                At Home

                A teen will often scout his own home first if he's looking for a quick high from prescription or OTC drugs.  Think carefully about the pills that are in your family's medicine cabinet.  Do you have cough syrups?  Vicodin or Hydrocodone for that bad back?  Xanax for those panic attacks?  These are just a few examples.  And, tech-gadgets such as computers, cell phones, and personal digital assistants (PDA's) can help teens gain access to the Internet, where they can readily order prescription drugs WITHOUT a prescription from rogue pharmacy sites or message with "friends" about obtaining drugs.

                Take inventory of every place in your home where you keep medicines, both prescription and OTC drugs.  Ideally, you should keep these drugs in one location that you can monitor easily and where your teen cannot access them.  If you choose to leave them out in the open, be sure to note the pill amounts in each bottle or pill packet, as well as the number of refills, just as you would monitor the level of alcohol in the house.  If you notice pills are dwindling faster than they should, be on alert, and talk to your teen.

                The Internet

                Some teens turn to sources outside the home to buy prescription drugs.  They can surf the Internet for illegal pharmacies that are NOT legitimate and often send prescribed drugs without a medical doctor's prescription.  Teens can easily access these websites using their computers, a cell phone with Internet capabilities, or a PDA.  In addition teens can access numerous websites that give step-by-step instructions on how much of a medicine they can take in order to get a "high" feeling.

                A Friend's or Relative's House

                Talk with the parents of a household about monitoring medicines in the home if your child is a frequent guest.  If other parents hear you talk about the new risks of prescription drugs and how you monitor the use of these drugs in your home, they'll understand.  The same set of guidelines apply to a relative or other caregiver's home, especially if they are elderly, such as grandparents.  Many seniors are on medications for chronic long-term conditions and sometimes don't monitor pill amounts closely.

                Most importantly, don't allow your teen to go to anyone's home if there's not going to be adult supervision.  "Pharming" or pill-swapping is becoming a popular, and very dangerous trend among teens, and it most often occurs when adults are absent or do not regularly check in during a social gathering.

                Grocery Store or Drugstore

                Stores and retail chains in several states are now required to place pseudoephedrine (i.e., Sudafed) behind the counter as a result of the Combat Methamphetamine Act.  Other stores, although not required by state law, are proactively putting certain OTC drugs behind the counter