5 Drugs Kids Steal Most Often From Parents

Dr. Jennifer Ashton: Medicine Cabinet Is Significant Source Of Prescription Drugs Teens Taking

(CBS)  You may unwittingly be a big source of prescription drugs your teen is using. And more often than not, medicine cabinets are their go-to spot of choice.

The Partnership For a Drug-Free America's latest survey has 61 percent of teens reporting prescription drugs are easier to get than illegal drugs, up significantly from 56 percent in 2005. And 41 percent of teens mistakenly believe abuse of medicines is less dangerous than abuse of illegal street drugs.

"One out of every two Americans is on prescription medication. So these drugs are readily available," CBS News Medical Correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton told co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez on The Early Show Thursday. "People think they're safe because they're prescribed by a doctor, and more and more teens are turning to the medicine closet to get their drugs of use and abuse."

Ashton went through the five classes of prescription drugs kids get most often in their own homes:

Narcotic pain relievers: Excess use can cause respiratory depression, even coma and death. Mild use can cause constipation, depression, and problems concentrating. These are the ones most commonly abused by teens.

Stimulants: Such as Ritalin, can cause nervousness, insomnia, and toxic psychosis. They can be abused by adults and teens trying for what they perceive as better concentration

Sedatives/tranquilizers: Such as Valium, can cause impaired coordination, which can be a real danger if someone is driving. They can also cause drowsiness and depression.

Sleep Aids: Such as Ambien, have a high potential for abuse (even in adults), and there are reports that teens use it recreationally because they get a "high" by trying to fight the sleepy feeling -- and can have visual hallucinations.

Cough meds: Contain DXM, which acts in way that is similar to morphine. They can cause respiratory depression, brain hemorrhage, nausea, and vomiting, and prompt thousands of emergency room visits each year.

What's a parent to do to try to keep kids from getting to these drugs in the house?

Ashton suggests throwing them out when they're no longer needed, and keeping any you need hidden, and perhaps even under lock and key, as you might a liquor cabinet.

She stressed it's not just prescription meds, but over-the-counter as well parents need to focus on.

She also urged parents to, "Talk to your children. Let them know that, just because they're prescribed by a doctor, (doesn't mean they couldn't be) deadly. We all know, as parents, you want to try to get ahead of this ball. So, before it happens, let them know.

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Add a Comment See all 12 Comments

by TakeItEasyAndStayBreezy May 12, 2009 6:30 PM EDT

Well, instead of parents blaming the drug industry and so on and so forth, and complaining about everything else, maybe the parents should check up on their teens, build a stronger relationship with them.
Stop and take the time out to show your teen some love, and keep your teen busy. hopefully your teen will have higher self-esteem.
Because teens who feel their parents have abandoned them by:
-working too much
-fighting constantly (horrible communication)
-not taking time out to spend quality time... (doesn't include shoppping or watching tv)
-teen not being able to talk to you as an adult with out you treating them like a child....
(the list goes on)
-Being in an abused relationship...

I think the teens would feel more prone to do someting in their community and other things... and be constructive...

What do you think?

Reply to this comment

by kidsay October 10, 2009 1:14 PM EDT

Well, most parents and people do not even realize that drugs are not the biggest things ruining their lives. For example i know of a kid who has straight "A"s and a GPA of 3.92 as a senior in high school although he does smoke weed or drink every once in a while. However, his grades are starting to slip because he is over stressed by his parents anger towards his dicisions and their abandonment of him in his search for colleges. So which one do you think is going to hurt his future more, smoking weed and drinking a little bit or having his parents completly abandon him in his search for colleges and cancelling his college visits?

by honestabe8 May 11, 2009 1:57 PM EDT

Ironic that the largest sponsor of Partnership for a Drug Free America is Budweiser. What a great business model. Destroy the drugs that compete for your customers, appear to be "helping" society and get a corporate tax deduction to boot! Anyone out there for restructuring our tax codes?
Posted by excoachken

coach: i think the PFDFA has stopped accepting sponsorship from the alcohol and tobacco industries years ago. but they still take cash from the pill pushers

Reply to this comment

by Dgunner May 10, 2009 8:43 AM EDT

No daddy I didnt get your prescriptions from your medicine cabinet. Today was tommys' turn to hit his moms purse for the mostly wide used drug by woman on the planet . xanax and antideprssants.Son why would you take drugs from tommys' mothers' purse. Because bobbys' mother doesn't get her refill until monday.

Reply to this comment

by sashenka1 May 7, 2009 2:30 PM EDT

Anyone whose teeth and strong jawbone are very near my gentalia is required to be drug free.

Reply to this comment

by hsudul May 7, 2009 2:05 PM EDT

ALready made my comments

Reply to this comment

by hsudul May 7, 2009 2:04 PM EDT

It is kind of ironic that we should expect youth to stay away from such drugs
when our TV commericals expound the great benefits of currene drugs..... only
after all the benefits do we hear how they might also cause death in some situations.
DRugs seem to be everywhere and most are quite assessible.
Fanilies with less income are the luickier ones becuase they can't afford them
and they are not as bored and looking for a high. I have 2 teen grandsons and they
are both involved with local theatreand it keeps them so busy... drugs have no place
in their busy life. LIkewise not interested in beer or cig.
Getting involved is abetter direction to go ... Since drugs only lead to a road of very
little joy!

Reply to this comment

by buttonjockey May 7, 2009 12:34 PM EDT

When "destroying" unneeded drugs, please do NOT flush them down the toilet or allow them into your waste water. I've attended lectures on contamination of our waste water by prescription drugs and the findings are quite alarming.

In short, even trace amounts of endocrine disruptors, pesticides, flame retardants, DEETs and other contaminants have an effect on wildlife and perhaps humans when the water is re-used. We don't often think that the water we flush is going to be drank again (but it usually is) and we don't realize that prescription drugs are something that is amazingly difficult to remove from wastewater (but it is).

Unfortunately, while we know that the effects on fish and amphibians are dramatic, there have been no studies of the effects on humans.

Google "wastewater contaminants" or something similar for more information.

Reply to this comment

by wcb2009 May 7, 2009 12:30 PM EDT

All thes pharma drugs are bad news! Too bad these kids arn't finding joints in they're parents medicine cabinets instead. Th risk of death by overdose does not exist with marijuana. The worst thing that could happen is they eat all the food in the frig and crash on the couch... Wake up people!

Reply to this comment

by kidsay October 10, 2009 1:17 PM EDT

Thank You its about time people start realizing that it is not the worst thing for a kid to do.

by excoachken May 7, 2009 11:22 AM EDT

Ironic that the largest sponsor of Partnership for a Drug Free America is Budweiser. What a great business model. Destroy the drugs that compete for your customers, appear to be "helping" society and get a corporate tax deduction to boot! Anyone out there for restructuring our tax codes?

Reply to this comment

by truthseeker60 May 7, 2009 10:26 AM EDT

Posted by edblvgtbl13 at 7:13 AM : May 7, 2009

Yo, Dude! Did you take your Meds today? You need to go back to bed and get up on the other side.

Reply to this comment

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[TakeItEasyAndStayBreezy]

Well, instead of parents blaming the drug industry and so on and so forth, and complaining about everything else, maybe the parents should check up on their teens, build a stronger relationship with them.
Stop and take the time out to show your teen some love, and keep your teen busy. hopefully your teen will have higher self-esteem.
Because teens who feel their parents have abandoned them by:
-working too much
-fighting constantly (horrible communication)
-not taking time out to spend quality time... (doesn't include shoppping or watching tv)
-teen not being able to talk to you as an adult with out you treating them like a child....
(the list goes on)
-Being in an abused relationship...

I think the teens would feel more prone to do someting in their community and other things... and be constructive...

What do you think?

[kidsay]

Well, most parents and people do not even realize that drugs are not the biggest things ruining their lives. For example i know of a kid who has straight "A"s and a GPA of 3.92 as a senior in high school although he does smoke weed or drink every once in a while. However, his grades are starting to slip because he is over stressed by his parents anger towards his dicisions and their abandonment of him in his search for colleges. So which one do you think is going to hurt his future more, smoking weed and drinking a little bit or having his parents completly abandon him in his search for colleges and cancelling his college visits?

[honestabe8]

Ironic that the largest sponsor of Partnership for a Drug Free America is Budweiser. What a great business model. Destroy the drugs that compete for your customers, appear to be "helping" society and get a corporate tax deduction to boot! Anyone out there for restructuring our tax codes?
Posted by excoachken

coach: i think the PFDFA has stopped accepting sponsorship from the alcohol and tobacco industries years ago. but they still take cash from the pill pushers

[Dgunner]

No daddy I didnt get your prescriptions from your medicine cabinet. Today was tommys' turn to hit his moms purse for the mostly wide used drug by woman on the planet . xanax and antideprssants.Son why would you take drugs from tommys' mothers' purse. Because bobbys' mother doesn't get her refill until monday.

[sashenka1]

Anyone whose teeth and strong jawbone are very near my gentalia is required to be drug free.

[hsudul]

ALready made my comments

[hsudul]

It is kind of ironic that we should expect youth to stay away from such drugs
when our TV commericals expound the great benefits of currene drugs..... only
after all the benefits do we hear how they might also cause death in some situations.
DRugs seem to be everywhere and most are quite assessible.
Fanilies with less income are the luickier ones becuase they can't afford them
and they are not as bored and looking for a high. I have 2 teen grandsons and they
are both involved with local theatreand it keeps them so busy... drugs have no place
in their busy life. LIkewise not interested in beer or cig.
Getting involved is abetter direction to go ... Since drugs only lead to a road of very
little joy!

[buttonjockey]

When "destroying" unneeded drugs, please do NOT flush them down the toilet or allow them into your waste water. I've attended lectures on contamination of our waste water by prescription drugs and the findings are quite alarming.

In short, even trace amounts of endocrine disruptors, pesticides, flame retardants, DEETs and other contaminants have an effect on wildlife and perhaps humans when the water is re-used. We don't often think that the water we flush is going to be drank again (but it usually is) and we don't realize that prescription drugs are something that is amazingly difficult to remove from wastewater (but it is).

Unfortunately, while we know that the effects on fish and amphibians are dramatic, there have been no studies of the effects on humans.

Google "wastewater contaminants" or something similar for more information.

[wcb2009]

All thes pharma drugs are bad news! Too bad these kids arn't finding joints in they're parents medicine cabinets instead. Th risk of death by overdose does not exist with marijuana. The worst thing that could happen is they eat all the food in the frig and crash on the couch... Wake up people!

[kidsay]

Thank You its about time people start realizing that it is not the worst thing for a kid to do.

[excoachken]

Ironic that the largest sponsor of Partnership for a Drug Free America is Budweiser. What a great business model. Destroy the drugs that compete for your customers, appear to be "helping" society and get a corporate tax deduction to boot! Anyone out there for restructuring our tax codes?

[truthseeker60]

Posted by edblvgtbl13 at 7:13 AM : May 7, 2009

Yo, Dude! Did you take your Meds today? You need to go back to bed and get up on the other side.