Smart Summer Week 11: Are your prescription drugs secured? Are you sure?

Kalamazoo Gazette staff By Kalamazoo Gazette staff The Kalamazoo Gazette
Follow on Twitter
on August 22, 2011 at 10:45 AM
safe summer.jpg

KALAMAZOO — This week, the Kalamazoo Substance Abuse Task Force offers the following three key words for adults: “Secure your meds.”

Studies indicate that abuse of prescription drugs is becoming increasingly common among teens and adults.

“Because prescription drugs are prescribed by a doc­tor, there is a myth that they are safe,” task force mem­bers say. “However, it is not safe to use someone else’s prescription drugs or to misuse drugs that are prescribed to you.”

According to the 2009 National Prescription Drug Threat Assessment, people who abuse painkillers and other narcotics often switch to heroin.

“Regardless of our age, we all need to do our part to pre­vent prescription drug abuse in our community by monitoring, securing and properly dis­posing our medications,” task force members say. “It is our voice, our community and our opportunity. Start taking action this summer by checking your medicine cabinets, talking to family and friends about this issue and learning more about the warning signs of prescrip­tion drug abuse.”

So this week the task force asks the following question: Are your prescription drugs secured? Are you sure?

It is the 11th question in a se­ries being presented each week during the task force’s 12-week Smart Summer campaign.

The campaign is intended to increase awareness among par­ents and caregivers of youths to emphasize how to prevent high-risk behaviors among their children.

According to the task force, one in five teens report abusing prescription drugs. And, when prescription drugs and over­-the-counter medications are misused, they can be harmful, even deadly, especially when combined with alcohol or other drugs.

The task force offers the fol­lowing suggestions: Take inventory of all medi­cines in your home regu­larly and make sure they are secured.

Only take medications as prescribed to you.

Talk to the young people in your life about the dangers of abusing medications.

Properly dispose of expired or unused medications. Do not flush them. Take medications out of original containers. Crush them, if possible, and mix them with coffee grounds or kitty litter before putting them in the trash.

And check out the following helpful websites for parents:
