Addiction… Grandparents Did You Know?
Addiction Starts in Your Medicine Cabinet
Grandparents! Did You Know That…?
- Overdose deaths from prescription painkillers have quadrupled from 1999 to 2013, killing more than 16,000 people in the U.S. SOURCE: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Vital Statistics System mortality data (2015)
- More than 60% of teens say prescription pain relievers are easy to get from the medicine cabinet at home, the homes of relatives, or from friends. SOURCE: DoSomething.org (2015)
- Youth who abuse prescription medications are also more likely to report earlier use of other drugs, particularly alcohol and marijuana. SOURCE: National Institute of Drug Abuse (2014)
What Can You Do?
Youth Prescription Drug Abuse – Don’t Ever Think “Not My Grandchild!”
- INFORM your grandchildren that taking prescription drugs without a doctor’s supervision is dangerous and potentially lethal. TELL them that the use of marijuana and alcohol can become a pathway to prescription drug addiction. For more information, visit www.drugabuse.gov.
- REMOVE drugs from your medicine cabinet and hide them, or lock them up and properly dispose of expired or unused medications.
- SUPERVISE your grandchildren’s Internet use when they visit. Some websites sell dangerous drugs that may not require a prescription.
- WARN other family members and friends about the importance of safeguarding medications in the home.
Suspect a Family Member?
Seek help immediately if you suspect you or a family member has a substance abuse problem. Macomb County residents who are enrolled in Medicaid, Healthy Michigan or are low income and uninsured, contact the Macomb County Community Mental Health Services Access Center - 586.948.0222 (collect calls are accepted) or contact the Crisis Center at 586.307.9100.