Prescription Drug Abuse Among Children and Teens Often Begins with the Family
Medicine Cabinet
MIAMI, Oct. 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Family Partnership
(NFP) has declared October 27th( )"Lock Your Meds" Day. The occasion is a
call to action for parents to take a stand against the trend in prescription
drug abuse among children and teens.
Statistics show that more than 6.2 million people age 12 and older abused
prescription drugs in the last month (1). Only 4.7 percent of people 12 and
older who abuse prescription drugs get them from a stranger, drug dealer or
the Internet (1).( )In fact, 56 percent obtained the drug they most recently
abused from friends or relatives (1).( )
"We know that prescription drug abuse among kids starts with access to the
family's medicine cabinet," said Peggy Sapp, President and CEO of NFP. "With
more than 4,000 children and young adults experimenting with prescription
drugs every day (2)( ), this day is intended as a wakeup call for all parents
to take responsibility for what is happening in their home and lock up their
prescription medications. Parents literally hold the key to their children's
drug-free future."
The second generation "Lock Your Meds" Day is part of the 24th annual Red
Ribbon Week during October 23-31, the oldest and largest drug abuse prevention
program in the United States. To help reach children and teens with the
drug-free messages during this time, NFP reaches out to more than 91,000
schools across the country and encourages these schools and communities to
unite and take a visible stand against drug abuse.
King Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a proud partner of NFP and "Lock Your Meds" Day.
NFP urges parents and family members to take the following steps to prevent
teen prescription drug abuse:
-- Lock your prescription medication and prevent abuse or misuse by
securing the medication in your home.
-- Take inventory of your current medications and periodically check that
nothing is missing.
-- Educate yourself and your children about the most commonly abused
types
of prescription medications and communicate the dangers to your child
regularly.
-- Set clear rules and monitor behavior by expressing your disapproval of
using prescription drugs without a prescription.
-- Properly dispose of old and unused medications.
To help parents take these steps and prevent the problem of prescription drug
abuse in their homes, the campaign website (http://www.lockyourmeds.com)
includes easy-to-use resources such as a home medicine inventory card and
downloadable guidelines on how to properly dispose of prescription medicine.
Parents can take a stand against prescription drug abuse by signing an online
pledge and sharing their message with friends and family.
For more information on teen prescription drug abuse, Red Ribbon Week or to
download "Lock Your Meds" materials, please visit http://www.lockyourmeds.com
or call 305-856-4886 or toll-free at 800-705-8997.
About the Red Ribbon Campaign
Each year, the Red Ribbon Campaign reaches millions of young people during Red
Ribbon Week who are asked to wear a symbolic red ribbon to show their personal
commitment to a drug-free lifestyle. The mission of the Red Ribbon Campaign is
to present a unified and visible commitment towards the creation of a
drug-free America. The Red Ribbon Campaign was launched when drug traffickers
in Mexico City murdered DEA agent Kiki Camarena in 1985, thus beginning the
continuing tradition of displaying Red Ribbons as a symbol of intolerance
towards the use of drugs. The theme for this year's campaign is "Drug Free is
the Key."
About the National Family Partnership
The National Family Partnership (NFP), formerly known as the National
Federation of Parents for Drug Free Youth, was created in 1980 by parents
across America in response to the rising level of youth drug use. The mission
of the National Family Partnership is nurturing parents to help children reach
their full potential. The National Family Partnership works to accomplish its
mission through parent training, parent networking and sponsoring the National
Red Ribbon Campaign. The Partnership also assists in forming parent groups in
all 50 States, provides education to parents about the health risks of drug
use, distributes similar materials to members of Congress and supports
alternative social activities for youth.
NFP's Sponsor
NFP's sponsor, King Pharmaceuticals(R), Inc., headquartered in Bristol,
Tennessee, is a vertically integrated branded pharmaceutical company. King, an
S&P 500 Index company, seeks to capitalize on opportunities in the
pharmaceutical industry through the development, including through
in-licensing arrangements and acquisitions, of novel branded prescription
pharmaceutical products and technologies that complement the Company's focus
in specialty-driven markets, particularly neuroscience and hospital. King's
wholly owned subsidiary, Alpharma Inc., is also a leader in the development,
registration, manufacture, and marketing of pharmaceutical products for
food-producing animals. For more information about King go to
http://www.kingpharmaceuticals.com.
Related links:
http://www.nfp.org
Resources:
1. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Results from
the 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: National findings.
Rockville, MD: Office of Applied Studies, US Dept of Health and Human
Services, NSDUH Series H-36, DHHS Publication No. SMA 09-4443;
September
2009.
2. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Results from
the 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Detailed table 4.11A.
Rockville, MD: Office of Applied Studies, US Dept of Health and Human
Services, NSDUH Series H-36, DHHS Publication No. SMA 09-4443;
September
2009.
SOURCE National Family Partnership (NFP)
Peggy Sapp of the National Family Partnership, +1-305-856-4886 or Kaitlin
Doody of Spectrum Science Communications, +1-202-955-6222
