Cough Medicine Abuse
An area of teen drug abuse that does not get much attention is in Over The Counter (OTC) drugs. While these medications are safe to use without a prescription for colds and coughs, they can be extremely dangerous when used in high doses. Parents need to be made aware of this trend, and educated about certain OTC medications.
A lot has been written about the rising trend in adolescent prescription drug abuse. But not so much has about OTCs. These are readily accessible in most households. And since they are so common, the perception of a youth may be that no harm can come from using a higher dosage than is indicated on the bottle.
Adolescents need to hear from their parents just how damaging OTC medications can be to their health when abused, as well as prescription drugs. Since parents can’t keep an eye on teens every hour of the day, they must be armed with specific knowledge about these drugs and how they are being abused.
October is National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month. The information below is from the official website. Please take the time to read the entire report on OTC medications and bookmark the site to further educate yourself on all types of medicine abuse.
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According to the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, one in five teens reports having abused a prescription drug to get high. Where OTC medicines are concerned, data from the Partnership for a Drug-Free America indicate that one in 10 teens reports having abused OTC cough medicines to get high, and 28 percent know someone who has tried it.
The ingredient the teens are abusing in OTC cough medicines is dextromethorphan, or DXM. When used according to label directions, DXM is a safe and effective ingredient approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and is found in well over 100 brand-name and store-brand over-the-counter cough medicines. When abused in extreme amounts, DXM can be dangerous.
— Source: http://www.stopmedicineabuse.org/learn/ —
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