When it comes to teenage drug abuse, marijuana has long been the most common substance of choice. But reports indicate that marijuana's hold on America's youth continues to be threatened by prescription drugs.

According to a special report on the website of Alabama NBC affiliate Local 15, one of the primary attractions for youth who abuse prescription medications is the surprising ease with which the substances can be acquired:

Where are kids getting their hands on these medications? Often it's in their own home. According to licensed counselor Cathy Clifton: "It's easy to get. They can just take them from mom's purse or the medicine cabinet and sometime parents don't even realize they're gone."

Clifton says with more and more adults taking medication for pain, anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders, more abusable drugs are readily available to teens. ...

Clifton has the following advice for parents:

• Keep all prescription medication away from children.
• Closely monitor the number of pills in bottles.
• Throw out any old medication.
• Also closely monitor your children's Internet use.

Labels: prescription drugs

Posted By: Aspen/CRC