There is no “good” reason for abusing medications. Your child needs to understand that abusing medications is not only incredibly dangerous, but it’s illegal . Not only is medication misuse dangerous for a developing brain and body, but it is also responsible for impaired driving crashes and fatalities, too. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 64% of seriously and fatally injured drivers tested at five major trauma centers in 2020 had at least one impairing substance in their system, including opioids, cannabis, alcohol, stimulants, and anti-depressants.
As a parent, you can help keep your child safe from substance abuse by:
Securely store medications. Knowing what is in your medicine cabinet, keeping medications in a locked, safe place, and properly disposing of them when you’re done using them.
Verbally sharing disapproval of medication abuse. Kids may think taking prescription drugs are safer than other drugs because they are given by pharmacists or because you have them at home; it is important that they hear from you the risks associated and your disapproval of it.
Talking early, openly, and often. Include OTC medications and prescription drugs in your conversations with your child and keep the lines of communication open.
Recognizing signs of abuse: • Fatigue or insomnia and/or
sudden mood changes including irritability, secretiveness, or personality shifts like lack of interest in a favorite hobby. repeated health complaints. • Decreased or obsessive interest in schoolwork. • Missing prescription medicines • Red or glazed eyes, and from your medicine cabinet or additional filled prescriptions that you did not order.
Monitoring their activities. Monitor their use of the internet for illegal online purchases, their social media pages, and any credit card purchases.
Teaching them how to identify signs of impairment. Knowing how to spot signs of drug impairment, which often looks different than alcohol impairment, is a lifesaving skill.
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