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:
- Take all prescription medications out of the medicine cabinet and
secure them in a safe place. Encourage relatives, especially grandparents,
to do the same
- Have an ongoing dialogue with their teens
- Learn to recognize the signs of abuse by visiting