A Dose of Prevention: Protecting Our Children from Medicine Abuse

October is National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month. National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month promotes the message that over-the-counter and prescription medicines are to be taken only as labeled or prescribed, and medication abuse is when they are not taken as prescribed by the person they are prescribed for. 

As parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, teachers, and other concerned adults, we spend a lot of time caring for the kids in our lives. While we may talk to them about the hazards of alcohol use, drunk driving, and of abusing illegal drugs like marijuana, heroin, and cocaine, we often forget about those drugs that are found right in our own medicine cabinets – prescription drugs and over-the-counter medicines.

Today, prescription (Rx) drugs are the second most abused category of drugs after marijuana, with one in five reporting that they have abused a prescription drug. So why is medicine abuse happening? Surveys show that today’s teens mistakenly believe medication abuse is an acceptable and safer alternative to illicit drug use. Easy access also plays a role, 70 percent of kids report getting the medication they abuse form a friend or family home. 

If you find empty bottles or packages of cough medicine in his or her bedroom, red flags should fly. And if you notice that he or she is exhibiting odd behavior, excessive mood swings, has an increase or decrease in sleep, declining grades or a loss of interest in friends and activities, then chances are something is wrong and you should have a talk with them.

So while we cannot protect children from everything that can hurt them, we can make a difference when it comes to prescription and over-the-counter medicine. Talk to them about the dangers of medicine abuse, safeguard your medicines, keep track of the medicines in your home, and learn how to properly dispose of medications when they are no longer needed. 

Tioga County has three permanent drop boxes available at the Tioga Sheriff’s Office, the Owego Police Department and the Waverly Police Department.

CASA-Trinity will host a Community Screening of “Breaking Points”, a documentary for parents and caregivers on the pressures our teens face today.  The event will take place on Oct. 26, at 6:30 p.m. at the Newark Valley UCC located at 32 S. Main St. in Newark Valley. Discussion and refreshments will follow.

CASA-Trinity and the Tioga County Sheriff will host a free medication collection event as well. It will take place on Oct. 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

at the CASA-Trinity office located across from Owego Agway in Owego; drive up and drop off. No questions asked.

For more information, contact Christina Olevano by calling (607) 223-4066 or by email to colevano@casa-trinity.org.