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Danger in the Medicine Cabinet
Drug Addictions Don't Just Happen on the Street
By Tamekia Reece
Now, before you run to the medicine cabinet and start tossing things out, that's not the answer. You don't have to get rid of medications your family needs. You need only to make them less accessible. Carla Jones, the mother of a 16-year-old, says she does this by keeping prescriptions in a locked cabinet in her room. Some parents, on the other hand, believe it's enough to simply verbally warn their children and threaten punishment if the medication becomes an issue.
Rotenberg feels that isn't enough. He suggests parents monitor pills by counting them. And he says some parents should take it even further. "Sometimes you need to go as far as taking it out of the home and locking it in your office at work," he says.
But don't think that by keeping prescription medications under wraps, you've solved the problem. Teens get drugs from friends at school, dealers on the street, other kids who have legitimate prescriptions and even the Internet. So not only do you need to keep medicines out of your children's reach, you also need to know who their friends are and be on the lookout for signs that may mean your child is abusing drugs.
Prescription drug abusers tend to show many signs, both physical and social. Here are a few thngs you should keep your eyes open for: