What Parents Need to Know About Teen Prescription Drug Use

Teen prescription (Rx) drug abuse is a serious and growing problem

in the United States. According to a survey, one in four high school

students has taken a prescription drug that was not prescribed for

them by a doctor. Every day, 2,500 young people use a prescription

pain reliever to get high for the first time.

Many teens do not realize that abusing prescription medications or

mixing prescription medications with alcohol can cause serious health

consequences—even death. It’s important that parents be aware of

this issue and monitor teens’ access to prescription drugs.

Here’s what parents can do to take action right now:

  1. Take all prescription medications out of the medicine cabinet and

secure them in a safe place. Encourage relatives, especially grandparents,

to do the same

  1. Have an ongoing dialogue with their teens
  2. Learn to recognize the signs of abuse by visiting

www.SmartMovesSmartChoices.org