Prescription Medicine Abuse and Its Effects on Children

Prescription medicines are now the most commonly abused drugs among 12 to 13 year olds.  More teens are abusing prescription medicine than ever before.  Findings from The Partnership Attitude Tracking Study, sponsored by MetLife Foundation, show that one in four teens has misused or abused a prescription drug at least once in their lifetime. That is a 33 percent increase since 2008.

One in four teens believes that prescription drugs can be used as a study aid.  Nearly one-third of parents believe ADHD medication can improve a child’s academic or testing performance, even if the teen does not have ADHD.

Parents need to take action. One-third of teens believe it’s okay to use prescription drugs that were not prescribed to them to deal with an injury, illness or physical pain.  43 percent of teens indicate prescription drugs are easier to get then illegal drugs.  More than four in ten teens who have misused a prescription drug obtained it from their parent’s medicine cabinet.

1 in 5 kids report having misused a prescription drug and have done so before the age of 14.  One in five parents indicates they have given their teen a prescribed drug that was not prescribed to them.

The above statistics are from http://medicineabuseproject.org/.

Ok, are you scared, shocked and angry yet?  Well, you should be.  We are a society of prescription drug users.  We are bombarded by TV ads from pharmaceutical companies 24/7 telling us that we all have some issue that can be cured by a prescription drug.

What can you do?  Go to the Medicine Abuse Project at http://medicineabuseproject.org/.  It’s a great site for information for parents & grandparents, health care providers, communities, Law Enforcment and educators. 

How is the Sandy Springs Police Department doing their part?  For the past several years, we have participated in the DEA National Take-Back Initiative.  Twice a year, this national event collects thousands of pounds of unused, outdated, unneeded and unmarked prescription medicines.  This event occurs in April and October each year, on a Saturday, from 10am-2pm.  Several years ago when the SSPD first participated, we collected about 40 pounds.  Last April, we collected over 150 pounds.  The next scheduled DEA National Take-Back Initiative is schedule for Saturday, October 26th, from 10am-2pm and the SSPD will once again participate. 

Go to http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/index.html  to learn more about the project and to find a collection place near you. The following site will also give you locations of where these boxes are currently installed: http://www.medreturn.com/. 

There is a permanently located prescription drug collection box located in the lobby of the Sandy Springs Police Department.  In the first week alone, we have collected almost 20 pounds of medications. You may drop off medicines, no questions asked, Mon – Fri, 8am-5:30pm excluding holidays and weekends.  See the attached for more information about the collection box and what medications we take and don’t take.

Officer Larry Jacobs is the Crime Prevention Officer for the Sandy Springs Police Department.  He can be reached directly at ljacobs@sandyspringsga.gov.