Have you become a drug pusher?
New research shows that there could be a drug pusher in your neighborhood – and it might be you. Teens, according to a new survey, say it's easier for them to get their hands on prescription meds than it is to buy beer.
The use of illegal drugs among teenagers is actually down while the abuse of prescription meds has been on a steady rise.
Teens get drugs such as Vicodin, Ritalin, Percocet and OxyContin from their parents' or grandparents' medicine cabinets and from friends—and these can be just as deadly when misused as any other controlled substance.
But there are many teens who wrongly think such drugs are safer than alcohol or illegal drugs. It's the same trap that many reasonable adults fall int a doctor prescribed the drugs, so they're universally understood to have a "seal of approval."
How do you stop prescription drug abuse among teens? Try some good, old- fashioned parenting. Talk to your teenager or grandchild about the dangers of prescription drugs and toss old medications. I know some patients who mix their old drugs with used kitty litter in the trash, to make them as unappealing as possible.
And if you don't finish a prescription, don't save it for a rainy say. There are plenty of script-happy docs that will jump at the chance to write you a new one.
