Crime and Safety:
Youth/Parents/Schools > Youth Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention
According to the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, every day in the United States more than 2500 children between the ages of 12 to 17 abuse prescription drugs for the first time. In Arkansas, by the time a student has reached his or her senior year in high school, there is a more than 1-in-5 likelihood that he or she has abused prescription drugs at some point. Close to 10% percent of Arkansas seniors report they have used prescription drugs for non-medical reasons even in the past month.
In reports issued by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, Arkansas leads the nation in the number of youth who abuse prescription pain medications. Especially alarming is the fact that 55% of teens nationwide report that it is easy to obtain prescription drugs directly from their parents’ medicine cabinet.
While youth prescription drug abuse continues to pose serious challenges for parents, grandparents, and caretakers, there are simple, but effective, steps everyone can take to prevent it:
- Keep a running count of how many pills are in each bottle or packet
- Keep track of refill dates and amounts
- Supervise your children’s internet activity
- Keep both prescription and over-the-counter medications in a safe place where youth cannot acquire them
- Lock prescription medications away if possible
- Encourage other adults to secure their medications
- Dispose of all unneeded, unused, and outdated prescriptions when children and teens are not around
- Most medications should be mixed with an undesirable substance (such as cat litter or coffee grounds) and discarded in the trash.
- Most medications should not be flushed down the toilet. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) maintains a short list of medications which may be flushed. Call 1-888-463-6332 or visit the FDA website, Disposal by Flushing of Certain Unused Medicines: What You Should Know, for more information.
If you know of an Arkansas child or teen that is experiencing difficulties with prescription drug abuse, please contact the Office of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention of the Division of Behavioral Health Services at (501) 686-9030. This Office can advise you of the drug-prevention services and resources that are available in your county.
Additional Resources:
- Monitor, Secure, and Dispose Campaign Website
- Office of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention
- Arkansas Prevention Needs Assessment Survey
- The Partnership for a Drug-Free America
- Parents. The Anti-Drug
- The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) – Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention
- National Institute on Drug Abuse
- Drug Enforcement Administration - PDF
- Not in my House
