How frightening is it to realize you may be providing drugs to your teen? The news this morning reported that one in four high school seniors are abusing prescription pills. I am a parent of a teen and I have grandchildren, and this is a frightening statistic. Our kids are taking pills they get them from friends and family members, and often no one knows the drugs are even missing!
Is it easier for kids to get these pills from your cupboard than it is for teenagers to buy beer or illegal drugs? You bet it is and that is part of the problem!
Parents, it is time to stop saying, “Not my kid!” Because with numbers as high as one in four, “Yes, there is a 25% chance that it is your kid!”
Our kids are abusing drugs for many different reasons. It could have started with experimentation, to lose weight or it may have started from an injury, where they originally held a legal prescription.
They say Parents are the Best Anti Drug, but until we parents start paying attention to what our youth are doing, how can we intervene? Start by talking to the teens in your life. It does not matter if they are your niece, nephew, grandchild or neighbor, you can make a difference if you try. Frequently, a teen may find it easier to have an open conversation with someone who is not the parent!
Janet Kornblum, of USA TODAY, had a great story about this subject where members of Columbia University’s National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) had these comments. Drugs like OxyContin, Percocet, and Vicodin are in “the medicine cabinet,” says Elizabeth Planet, director of special projects for CASA. “Another big source of these drugs are their friends.” CASA president Joseph Califano said, “These parents are passive pushers by not taking care of their drugs.”
How scary is that, Mom? You may be providing these drugs to your kids and not even know it! Is it time to lock up the medicine cabinet? Maybe it is. At the very least know where your medications are and how many pills you should have in the bottle. Mark the level of fluid in your liquor bottles, count your cigarettes, hide your pot and keep your purse free of excess cash and prescription pills. This is not a “trust” issue, this is about opportunity. If they see Dad take a pill when he is feeling overwhelmed, why would your teen not reach for that same pill? Teens are still growing and developing. They will not necessarily have the expected reaction to Mother’s Little Helper.
Try to remember what it was like to be a teenager. We all dealt with raging hormones, preparing for college, living up to expectations, break-ups, self imposed goals and the never ending quest for approval. Being a teenager can be a painful journey! Help the teens in your life seek healthy alternatives for dealing with this exciting time. As the overall numbers on teen substance abuse continues to decline, know that you played a role in keeping down the numbers on prescription abuse, too.