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Do You Know What Is In Your Medicine Cabinet? |
| Parents have been aware of the dangers of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and other drug use by teens and "almost" teens for some time.There is now another danger that parents must be alert to: the increasing abuse of over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription drugs by our nation's young people.When used appropriately, OTC and prescription medicines can be valuable supports to a person's physical and mental health.But these drugs also have a high potential for abuse.Young people have gotten the message that there are pills, remedies, potions and preparations to deal with every kind of pain, to change a person's mood, and to generally smooth out the rough edges of life.And they're getting this message at a time in their lives when their brains are not fully developed particularly their brain's capacity to discern the consequences for their behavior.It's a time when they are struggling to fit in and appear confident, and are hard-wired for taking risks good and bad.These cultural and developmental factors can lead to some pretty poor decision-making.We know preteens and teens, like adults, abuse drugs and alcohol for many reasons.Some teens are ineffectively trying to deal with a wide variety of individual, peer, family, school and other stresses.Some may even be trying to cope with a serious, undiagnosed mental health issue.Young people choose OTC drugs because they are legal, cheap, widely and easily available, and seen as harmless. |
| Young people choose OTC drugs because they are legal, cheap, widely and easily available, and seen as harmless.Young people seek the euphoric (at times hallucinogenic) effects they get when the drugs are taken in amounts that are wildly beyond the manufacturer's recommended doses.Prescription drugs are similarly abused for the variety of mood-altering effects that they produce.Young people can find these drugs right in the medicine cabinets in their own homes or in the homes of family members and friends.Whatever the reason, young people need help and guidance.The information below is designed to help you provide guidance and support to the young people in your life.Over-the-Counter Drug AbuseThe main OTC drugs being abused contain the ingredient dextromethorphan or DXM.DXM (also known as Triple C; Skittles; Red Devils; Robo; Vitamin D; Tussin and Dex) is a synthetic drug chemically similar to morphine.It has been added to cold and cough medications since the 1970s.Drugs containing DMX are: |
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