I have written a few articles on Illegal drugs and teenagers  and one about whats in your cupboards and the way kids can abuse them......Today I thought I would write about Prescription drug abuse......It is a scary fact off life.....With all of todays statistics around most of them that I looked up on the net say that most teenagers are more likely to have abused a presciption drug than an illegal one......One reason for this could be that they just have to go to the medicine cabinet and raid  it........There are alot of things for them to get a high with......If a child abuses a prescription drug that is their parents or their grandparents then they are free to them arent they......

Children can get involved in prescription drugs in alot of ways......Really when you think about it in most kids experiental stage which is through out most kids teenage years.....They never think that their actions may have consequences the next day do they..... Most teens believe in the old saying.....I'm Ten foot tall and bullet proof....You can not predict if your child with experiment and stop and the ones who will keep going and develop a problem....We as parents are not fortune tellers even though I wish we could be.....There are some risks that have been identified which makes experimenting from one child to another more dangerous for them to become hooked so to say...........These are not definate but seem to be more likely and seem to help.......

• Depression

• Low self esteem/feeling like they dont fit in/or not popular

• Aggressive and rebellious/have an attitude problem wiht figures of authority

• A family history of substance or alcohol abuse

There are somethings we can do as parents to help this not being another teenage problem in our own homes.....We need to talk to our kids about how taking a prescription drug that is not prescribed to them can be just as dangerous to them as heroin or speed.....Pain killers and heroin have similar ingredients(both are opiates)......Tell your kids that prescription medications are powerful and they help sick people and are given by a doctor........Tell them if someone who doesn't need it takes it can become deadly.........We spend alot of time talking to our kids about illegal drugs but prescription drugs are not always something we look at discussing......Well I didn't until recenlty anyway......

The prescription drugs that are abused are stimulants Depressants and painkillers....the external link provided below is a great link and worth a read.......A fantastic site...Please when you have time take a look......

Lastly my advice to you is to put any medications that are prescribed to anyone in your home up in a safe place and only known to adults in your home.....Not in a medicine cabinet in you bathroom or in the cupboard above the fridge.....If the children know where they are they know where to look.....Not all kids will take them for a high or even think of it but taking the temptation away I always find is a good start....

Again I say as I do in most of my articles Communication is the key......Talk talk and talk some more....Build the best relationship with your child as best you can.....be open and tell them no matter what.........Or  how bad they think it is they can come to you or one of their people on their safety network(I have written about this in another article linked below)

Have a great day
Cheers
Angie

Just a footnote I would like to add to this.....Children who are prescribed medication for adhd/mood stabilisers/anti depressants are less likely to abuse the drug.....Just another thing I read and now can not find the link to....sorry just wanted to add this to makes sure parents do not think that medicated you child for a disorder will make them an abuser.......