By Alex Gwen Thomson
Prescription drug and painkiller abuse may not be at the forefront of our minds when we think of top drug issues this year, but it's actually becoming an increasingly worrisome issue of epidemic proportion. Addictions to prescription drugs are on the rise, as more teens and adults are finding it easier to get hold of them. New studies have shown that getting prescription drugs was actually easier than getting cigarettes or even beer.
One study of teen prescription drug access discovered an even more frightening statistic -- as many as 31% said they could buy prescription drugs through their friends or classmates, and a staggering 34% admitted that they got them from home, in the medicine cabinet or more alarmingly, from their own parents. Statistics like this really show why prescription drugs are something to be worried about, but are we doing enough to prevent this from happening?
As prescription drug addiction and abuse is often a family affair, more parents need to be aware that they, themselves, could be unwittingly contributing to their children's drug addiction, simply by not locking the medicine cabinet. Parents, nowadays, spend a lot more time worrying about their kids invading the liquor cabinet, when they should be worrying about the medicine cabinet. It's one thing for a child to drink, but for a youngster to be addicted to drugs such as Oxycontin, Xanax or any other drug you might be keeping in your medicine cabinet, is just way off the scale. ... So, why aren't we taking more care to ensure they don't fall into the wrong hands?
You may have heard of several well-known, young adult celebrities who have become fatalities due to in part -- or whole -- to overdosing on prescription drugs. There are stories such as the tragic death of Heath Ledger, Brittany Murphy and 38-year old Cory Haim, who had reportedly succumbed to a deadly combination of Vicodin, Valium, Soma and a muscle relaxant. These tragic deaths keep appearing on the news, however they are avoidable and death can be prevented. It takes a little care and attention when it comes to prescription drugs and educating your kids early about the dangers of not only prescription drugs themselves ... but also on the dangerous and quite often lethal mixing of prescription medications and alcohol.
There is a common impression that because prescription drugs are often given to you from a doctor that they are safe. This is a misconception. But it's not just your children that will need educating -- there are a few things that you, as an adult, can do too. For example, properly disposing of any old prescription drugs that are out-of-date or you no longer need, and keeping your medicine cabinet locked are two easy things you can do in order to increase security around the house and keep your children safe. Proper education and communication with your teens can also be a very big deterrent to even experimenting with prescription drugs.
Once a problem of addiction or abuse has been detected, it is wise and highly recommended that you and/or loved one seek immediate assistance in the form of either continued counseling, or education and support from an accredited facility that can help uncover and treat the addictions and abuse.
Source: physicalfitnessarticles.net
