Alcohol, tobacco and illegal drug use among teens may have declined over the past decade, but at least one abuse risk is on the rise: the prescription pill bottle. That’s because more kids are using painkillers, drugs for ADHA (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder), antidepressants, tranquilizers and sleep aids to get high.

One in five teens in grades seven to 12 intentionally abused prescription drugs, according to a Partnership for a Drug-Free America study. “Kids assume pharmaceuticals are safe because they’re medicine,” says Tom Hedrick, director of the partnership. But prescription dugs can be just as addictive and deadly as street drugs and are easier to obtain.

The top three ways teens report getting pills are through parents’ and friends’ medicine cabinets, someone else’ medications and online sites that don’t require a doctor’s prescription.

Signs of abuse include extreme changes in behavior and a dramatic decline in grades. Limit access to medicines by disposing of drugs you’re not using, keeping prescriptions out of easily accessible areas and monitoring the Web sites your teen visits.

Be Careful of Caffeine

Teens who consume caffeine during the day may sleep fewer hours per night, sleep more fitfully and be likelier to fall asleep during the day than kids who consume very little or none at all. If your child is struggling with sleep, consider limiting his or her intake of coffee drinks and caffeinated sodas.

Copyright 2006 by Ladies Home Journal Magazine. All rights reserved.
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