WAKE UP: Holidays are here, Secure your Prescriptions before Welcoming Guests

Tis the season of giving, but as you invite family and friends into your home for holiday festivities, beware – for some, it is also the season for taking. According to the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, most teens initially get prescription pills from family and friends, including straight from home medicine cabinets.  And it’s not just teens.  

Prescription drug abuse has become an epidemic in the United States. Deaths from prescription drug overdoses have become the second leading cause of accidental deaths nationwide, and the leading cause in as many as 15 states.

“Prescription pill abusers are no different than those that are addicted to illicit drugs like meth or heroin.  They will go to great lengths to get their fix. I can’t stress enough the importance of safeguarding your medications,” says Lora Brown, MD, a Pain Management Physician and Medical Director for WAKE UP!, a community educational campaign created to combat the increase in prescription drug abuse among teenagers.

Brown says that you should always safeguard your medicine, but it’s especially important during the holidays when friends, family, neighbors and sometimes strangers are invited into our homes.  Don’t discuss what medications you are taking with anyone but your medical or mental health team, and keep the medications in a secure place at all times. Often these medications are stolen from medicine cabinets and nightstands. Addicts have been known to break into homes where they suspect they can find meds, as well as assault someone who is in possession of the prescription medication they desire.

About WAKE UP!:

WAKE UP! is a community educational campaign established by The Pain Truth, a Florida 501(c)(3), to combat the increase in prescription drug abuse among teenagers. It is designed to use science, not scare tactics, to educate teenagers of the effects and dangers of prescription drugs. The program uses a school “takeover” approach to reach thousands of students and their families with an extended program designed to teach not preach about the dangers of abusing and misusing prescription drugs. This program is unique in many ways. One of the most important aspects is sustainability through a school-based CORE of students and educators that remain present and active long after the original campaign is complete. 

Follow them on Twitter and use hashtag #WAKEUP

Stop Medicine Abuse: Starting The Conversation

Teen Drug Use: A parent's fear is when their teen or tween starts using drugs and it doesn't have to be marijuana or even street drugs - cough medicine and other household items are being used by teens to get high.

Stop Medicine Abuse is proactive in helping parents become educated and giving tips and resources to talk to your kids about the risks and dangers of substance abuse.

Here are some conversation starters:

Figuring out what to say to your teen on some of life’s tougher issues, like medicine abuse, can be challenging. During adolescence these conversations can sometimes result in verbal bouts, rather than calm, informative discussions. Fear not! There are ways to broach these topics with your teenager – the trick is to know the right questions to ask!

Cut out and use these conversation starters for opening the dialog with your teenager about serious teen issues, such as drug use or bullying. Remember to ask questions in an open-ended manner to avoid “yes” or “no” answers!

Click here for full details.

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Stop Medicine Abuse: Looking for a Five Mom

Help Stop Teen Cough Medicine Abuse 
 

Talking to teens about drug abuse is never easy. Did you know teens that learn about the dangers of drugs from their parents are 50 percent less likely to abuse drugs? As parents, we must work together to educate our teens and create awareness about the dangers of substance abuse, including over-the-counter (OTC) cough medicine abuse.

In 2007, five moms from around the country were brought together to share information with other parents about the largely unknown trend among teens of abusing OTC cough medicines to get high. Since then, the Five Moms campaign has reached more than 24 million parents to help educate them about preventing teen cough medicine abuse, spreading awareness to parents, schools, and communities. And now they want your help! The campaign recently launched the Are You the Next Five Mom? search to look for a new Mom to join the fight against cough medicine abuse.
Are you a mom who is passionate about working with teens? Do you have experience working with teens and substance abuse? If you are interested in being a part of the Five Moms campaign, they are looking for someone who:

• Has experience or a passion for working with teens;
• Has past or previous involvement in teen programming or issues affecting teens;
• Has experience working with teens and/or substance abuse;
• Has raised awareness of cough medicine abuse in their community or is a community leader;
• Works with teens on a daily or weekly basis a coach, teacher, guidance counselor, youth group leader, etc.;
• Uses social media to reach parents and educate them about teen substance abuse;
• Is involved with community organizations that center around pre-teens and teens;
• Developed an original idea or event to educate others about cough medicine abuse; or
• Has distributed Five Moms and/or cough medicine abuse information to their children, peers, community, etc.

For more information on how to enter the Are You the Next Five Mom? search, and for the official rules and regulations, visit FiveMoms.com. To learn more about over-the-counter medicine abuse, visit StopMedicineAbuse.org.

You can join them in Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

Teen Lingo: What is their Culture Really Saying?

Let's face it -- whether it is their texting lingo or their speech, many parents are not in tune with what today's teens are really saying.  When it comes to parenting, it should be a priority to learn about today's teen culture and especially their lingo.

Have you overheard their conversations or listened to them talk with their friends? Have there been times you wondered what exactly they meant, and just assumed it was teen talk, when in fact it could have a reference to drug use? Seriously, doesn't recipe or trail mix have to do with culinary arts? No, not always.
Get started by being informed and being an educated parent.

You may not know what pharming is, but your teenagers do. Your first step in helping protect your teens is to speak the same language. Knowing the vocabulary surrounding prescription drug abuse can help you take a proactive approach in communicating with your teen and safeguarding their health and safety.

Some examples of teen lingo:


Big boys, cotton, kicker: Various slang for prescription pain relievers.
Chill pills, french fries, tranqs: Various slang for prescription sedatives and tranquilizers.
Pharming (pronounced "farming"): From the word pharmaceutical. It means kids getting high by raiding their parents' medicine cabinets for prescription drugs.

Pharm parties: Parties where teens bring prescription drugs from home, mix them together into a big bowl (see 'trail mix'), and grab a handful. Not surprisingly, pharm parties are usually arranged while parents are out.

Pilz (pronounced pills): A popular term used to describe prescription medications. Can also include over-the-counter medications.

Recipe: Prescription drugs mixed with alcoholic or other beverages. Trail mix: A mixture of various prescription drugs, usually served in a big bag or bowl at pharm parties.

 

Teenagers turn to prescription drugs because they perceive them as less dangerous than illegal drugs. Because of this, teenage prescription drug abuse is on the rise. But the good news is, as a parent, you can influence your teen's decision not to use drugs. The majority of teens still report that their parents -- not their peers or the media -- have the biggest influence on their decision to stay drug-free. Use this influence to talk to your teen about the danger of misusing prescription drugs.

 

Help StopMedicineAbuse.org and the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) raise awareness at the local level about cough medicine abuse and prescription drug abuse. Get your community together and you could win an iPad! Learn more.

 

Sources: Not In My House, Partnership at DrugFree.org

 

Be an educated parent; you will have safer and healthier teens.

Sue Scheff: Learn About Teen Medicine Abuse

I was asked by caring parents and individuals to give people encouraging news. StopMedicineAbuse is making a difference in creating awareness in parents and helping open up the lines of communication with their teens and tweens today.

Although almost two-thirds parents have talked to their teens about cough medicine abuse, a large number still have not had this critical conversation. To help alert these parents, many OTC cough medicines will now feature the Stop Medicine Abuse educational icon on the packaging. The icon, which also can be viewed online (see in this Blog), is a key reminder for parents that teen medicine abuse is an issue that they need to be aware of.

More Parents Talking with Their Teens about Cough Medicine Abuse

Posted by Five Mom, Christy Crandell , on Monday, May 11, 2009

Our efforts to educate parents about medicine abuse have reached thousands of families in the United States. With your help, more parents than ever are learning about this risky teen substance abuse behavior and are talking with their teens. According to the Partnership Attitude Tracking Study, released by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, 65 percent of parents have talked to their teens about the dangers of abusing OTC cold and cough medicine to get high-an 18 percent increase in the number of parents who talked to their teens in 2007.
My fellow Five Moms and I are excited to share this promising news with you, but there is still much work ahead. Although nearly two-thirds of parents have talked with their teens, 35 percent of parents said that they have not had this important conversation.

We know that when parents talk to their teens about the risks of substance abuse, their teens are up to fifty percent less likely to abuse substances. If you have not already talked with your teens about the dangers of cough medicine abuse, visit our talk page for some helpful ideas on how to have this discussion.

It is also critical that we share this information with our friends and communities as well. Too many parents are still unaware that some teens are abusing OTC cough medicine to get high, and it is important that we talk with them about this behavior. By talking with other parents, we can make sure that every family has the knowledge and tools to help keep teens safe and healthy.

Sharing information about cough medicine abuse is easy. It only takes a moment to start a conversation, and thanks to Stop Medicine Abuse, you can Tell-A-Friend through e-mail or post the Stop Medicine Abuse widget to your blog or web site. The more parents are aware of cough medicine abuse, the better we can prevent this behavior from happening in our communities.
Have you talked with other parents about cough medicine abuse? Share your advice about having this conversation at the Stop Medicine Abuse Fan page

Sue Scheff: Parents - Learn About Teen Medicine Abuse

Source: StopMedicineAbuse

Welcome to the Five Moms: Stopping Cough Medicine Abuse Campaign

Learn about teen cough medicine abuse.Share information about abuse.

First launched in May 2007, the Five Moms Campaign has reached over 24 million parents with these basic messages to parents about preventing teen cough medicine abuse.
When the campaign launched, teen cough medicine abuse was on the increase. Now, nationwide statistics point to a slight decrease. That’s great news, but more work has to be done to eliminate this type of substance abuse behavior among teens.

CHPA brought together five moms—a pediatric nurse practitioner, an accountant, a D.A.R.E. officer, an educator, and an author—from different backgrounds and from all over the country to encourage parents to get involved in stopping cough medicine abuse. And now Five Moms is part of the StopMedicineAbuse.org effort.

Join the campaign. Membership is free and entitles you to the monthly e-newsletter and occasional e-mail updates. (Read our privacy policy.)

Tell your friends about teen cough medicine abuse. You can use the English or Spanish tell-a-friend feature.

Learn more about the issue, how to talk with your teens about drug abuse, and how to protect them from different online threats.