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Embed this infographic on your site!
Fact: 2,500 Teens Begin Abusing Prescription Drugs Each Day
(source: SAMHSA).

We created this infographic to increase awareness about the potential dangers of prescription medications. Every day 2,500 teens start down a very dangerous road by taking medications intended for friends or relatives.

Here are some prescription drug safety tips:
1. Keep a Written Inventory to Keep Track of Medications 2. Lock up the Medications 3. Know your Kids' Friends and Talk to Their Parents about Medications. 4. Dispose of Older/Unused Medications Disposal tips:
Having knowledge about the quantity of your pills, drugs and prescriptions is extremely important. This is a great way of double checking to see if your son or daughter may have taken some. Also, if they know that you are keeping track, it will serve as a deterrent for further medication abuse.

This will serve as a physical deterrent from prescription drug abuse by your children. If you have a lock that is opened by a key, be sure to keep your key with you at ALL times. If you are using a lock that is opened by code or combination, make sure to switch the combination periodically whenever you feel suspicious of any possible tampering.

We understand that this is sometimes not an easy step. However, talking to your kid's friend's parents will ensure that there is less opportunity for prescription drug abuse when you are not there. Be sure to let the parents know about the tips mentioned in this list as they may have not thought of them.

Excess prescription drugs around the house leads to an increased curiosity or temptation to try them. This is why you should be sure get rid of them as soon as you realize that they are of no use to you. Proper disposal of expired and unused medication is important. If you do it incorrectly, you could do unintentional harm.

- Please do not simply throw your medications in the trash as children and/or pets may accidentally consume them.

- Please do not flush your old medications down the toilet as it may poison your local water stream. - We recommend contacting your nearest pharmacy or finding out where a medication disposal center is and taking your medications there.

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A Killer in the Cabinet - Prescription Medication Dangers | CRC Health Group

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Embed this infographic on your site! Fact: 2,500 Teens Begin Abusing Prescription Drugs Each Day (source: SAMHSA). We created this infographic to increase awareness about the potential dangers of prescription medications. Every day 2,500 teens start down a very dangerous road by taking medications intended for friends or relatives.

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Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

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Gulf Coast Addiction Technology Transfer Center

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Master Strategy for Maximum Health and Lasting Success

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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

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United States Food and Drug Administration

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Popping Pills: Prescription Drug Abuse in America

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52 Million people in the US, over the age of 12, have used prescription drugs non-medically in their lifetime.

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The Problem of Medicine Abuse | The Medicine Abuse Project

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More teens are abusing prescription medicine than ever. In fact, one in four teens has misused or abused a prescription drug at least once in their lifetime. That is a 33 percent increase since 2008.

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Prescription Drugs Fuelling Teen Deaths | Watch News Videos Online

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Prescription Drugs Fuelling Teen Deaths | Watch News Videos Online

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Prescription Drugs Fuelling Teen Deaths | Watch News Videos Online

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Watch Prescription Drugs Fuelling Teen Deaths Video Online, on GlobalNews.ca

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Teens May Abuse Their Prescription Medications | dailyRx News

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Teens May Abuse Their Prescription Medications | dailyRx News

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VIDEO: Taking Prescription Drugs to Get High—A Bad Idea | Get Smart About Drugs

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VIDEO: Taking Prescription Drugs to Get High—A Bad Idea | Get Smart About Drugs

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Transcript
[A character appears within the frame.]
Hey, I'm Marcus and this is Alex and Jack.
[Two more characters are shown.]
We've been friends since we were kids.
[Within the video, illustrations of the seasons are shown to demonstrate passing time.]
Last year we started high school and Jack's older cousin, Corey, has been showing us around.
[A school is shown in the background and a taller character is shown in the frame. The scene shifts to show a skateboard park and each of the four characters with a skateboard.]
One day we're all skating at Admiral Park and Corey pulls out these pills.
[The pills are shown in a character's hand, then are distributed to the hands of each of the other characters.] First I thought they were just his allergy medicine or something, but then he gives one to each of us and tells us to "take 'em." He says it's cool. I didn't know what to do since I'd heard they were okay to take, but I didn't want to get messed up. We all look up to Corey, but it just didn't feel right. [The scene transitions to two characters riding skateboards down a tree-lined street.] As Alex and I skated home, we talked about the pills Corey gave us and agreed that it's crazy to take 'em to get high. I see him take his pill out of his pocket and toss it. [Both characters, one after the other, are shown throwing the pills.] I toss mine too. We never needed pills before, why start now? [The animation ends with the following shown on the screen:] 97% of teens don't use prescription drugs to get high. Taking prescription drugs to get high can have serious health effects including addiction and overdose. [The Just Think Twice website logo and address for the site - www.justthinktwice.com - are shown.]

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VIDEO: Taking Prescription Drugs to Get High-A Bad Idea

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Transcript [A character appears within the frame.] Hey, I'm Marcus and this is Alex and Jack. [Two more characters are shown.] We've been friends since we were kids. [Within the video, illustrations of the seasons are shown to demonstrate passing time.] Last year we started high school and Jack's older cousin, Corey, has been showing us around.

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Prevention of Teen Prescription Drug Abuse by Chief Louis Bordi of Voorhees Township Police - YouTube

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Prevention of Teen Prescription Drug Abuse by Chief Louis Bordi of Voorhees Township Police - YouTube

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Psychology Professor & Substance Abuse Counselor

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.entities[].name
Chief Louis Bordi of Voorhees Township Police

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Community Matters - Alcohol & Drug Prevention for Youth

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Prevention of Teen Prescription Drug Abuse by Chief Louis Bordi of Voorhees Township Police

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Uploaded by PersonalizedPSAs on 2015-02-05.

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WAKE UP! Campaign Against Teen Prescription Drug Abuse - YouTube

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WAKE UP! Campaign Against Teen Prescription Drug Abuse - YouTube

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Kaard Bombe 60,418 views Drug Abuse Education

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MUHS Teens Against Prescription Drug Use

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WAKE UP! Campaign Against Teen Prescription Drug Abuse

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Illegal street drugs get a lot of attention, but over the past ten years, abuse of prescription drugs has become a growing problem, especially among teenagers. Prescription drugs are now the leading cause of accidental death in San Diego, and one in five teens report abusing prescription drugs.

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PSA - Teen Prescription Drug Abuse - YouTube

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PSA - Teen Prescription Drug Abuse - YouTube

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Local Teen Shares Story: Accidental Prescription Drug Overdose - YouTube

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Local Teen Shares Story: Accidental Prescription Drug Overdose - YouTube

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Local Teen Shares Story: Accidental Prescription Drug Overdose

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UNDATED -- Four Ohioans die every day from an accidental prescription drug overdose. It's something the attorney general's office is actively fighting, with the help of a grieving mother and friend."I will never forget that.

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GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO) -- Talking to your teen is important when it comes to prescription drug abuse.

Sue McCollum has an open relationship with her son when it comes to discussing the dangers of drug abuse.

"You can't be with blinders on, you're gonna have to just open your eyes because what happens is if you lose them for a while you don't know if it's that's one that's just gonna go all the way down and is gone," explained McCollum.

A new report released from The Partnership at Drugfree.Org confirmed teen prescription drug abuse is up by 33% and 1 in 6 parents believe using prescription drugs is safer than using street drugs.

Chad Williams of the Mesa County Sheriff's Office says prescription meds can be just as detrimental to a teen as street drugs and it's important for parents to educate themselves and their teen.

"We get caught in the medicine vs. drug semantics, that type of thing, but you really have to address prescription drugs as well as cough syrup. You have to talk to them about any of the drugs that are going to interact and be a psycho-active drug into their brain," explained Williams.

Michael Costello, a therapist and addictions counselor at The Alpha Center says a lot of parents want someone else to talk to their teenagers about drug use, such as a counselor or therapist, but he feels parents should talk to their kids first.

"But really, every study that I've read on what's going on in a teenagers mind, the most important person in their lives or the most important people are their parents," says Costello.

Teens are throwing "skittles parties" where they throw all the pills they snag from home into a bowl and take a few- not knowing what exactly they are ingesting.

"If you're grabbing just a cocktail of pills to throw down your throat, you're being very dangerous and pretty reckless. You have no idea what's in there and what you're mixing. You mix the wrong two and it could be a bad night for you," says Williams.

Officials say awareness and education play a key role in keeping your teen safe. That's why McCollum will continue to keep an open line of communication with her son.

"I think he's smart enough to know not to, but like I said l walk by and I'll look and make sure he acts the way I know him to be," said McCollum.

If you want to learn more about prescription drug abuse you will have the opportunity to do so at the end of the summer. Chad Williams, of the Mesa County Sheriff's Office, will be holding a free class dedicated entirely to prescription drugs. The class is a part of the Mesa County Safe Kids community classes.

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GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO) -- Talking to your teen is important when it comes to prescription drug abuse. Sue McCollum has an open relationship with her son when it comes to discussing the dangers of drug abuse.

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Animated Video > Smart Moves, Smart Choices: Learn About Teen Prescription (Rx) Drug Abuse and Watch Dr. Drew Videos

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Animated Video > Smart Moves, Smart Choices: Learn About Teen Prescription (Rx) Drug Abuse and Watch Dr. Drew Videos

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Animated Video > Smart Moves, Smart Choices: Learn About Teen Prescription (Rx) Drug Abuse and Watch Dr. Drew Videos

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Learn the facts about the serious issue of Teen Prescription (Rx) Drug Abuse, watch videos with Dr. Drew and learn what parents, teens and educators can do to take action to reduce the abuse of prescription medications.

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ADHD medication shows up on drug test, gets teen fired from Kroger - Story

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ADHD medication shows up on drug test, gets teen fired from Kroger - Story

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Report: Teens increasingly abusing prescription drugs | WISH-TV

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Report: Teens increasingly abusing prescription drugs | WISH-TV

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INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Prescription drug abuse is growing among Indiana teenagers. New numbers from the Indiana Youth Institute say the number of teens who have abused prescription drugs nearly doubled in 2014. In 2013, 6.9 percent of high school seniors had tried the drugs, and in 2014 that number jumped to 13.5 percent.

The report shows teens as young as 13 years old are abusing drugs. Sometimes it's easier for kids to access drugs like Vicodin, Adderall or Xanax than it is to get alcohol, because the drugs are just sitting in the medicine cabinet at home. Parents and children are often prescribed the drugs for legitimate medical reasons, but then kids can sneak them to get high.

Indiana Youth Institute told 24-Hour News 8 teens learn what drugs their friends or friends' parents are taking and then trade or sell them them to each other. That's why experts say it's important to keep track of your drugs and know exactly when you are due for a refill.

"Make sure you're keeping tabs on them, the number of them, when your children's prescriptions or your prescriptions should run out and be ready for a refill. If you suddenly find your child coming to (you) repeatedly and saying, 'Hey I lost some of my pills' or 'I need a refill' that may be a sign that your children are abusing those drugs," said Glenn Augustine with the Indiana Youth Institute.

Augustine said sometimes teens like how they feel after their normal dosage, so they experiment by taking a higher dose. Sometimes teens will keep using the drugs when they don't need them, and that's how addiction begins.

"What we know - at least the common knowledge - is that the human brain really doesn't fully form until you're 25 years old. The more you use drugs or alcohol earlier in life, the more likely this is to become a chronic usage or a chronic problem," Augustine said.

Parents should watch for warning signs of substance abuse, such as sluggish behavior, a change in appearance or a change in friends.

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Report: Teens increasingly abusing prescription drugs

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INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Prescription drug abuse is growing among Indiana teenagers. New numbers from the Indiana Youth Institute say the number of teens who have abused prescription drugs nearly doubled in 2014. In 2013, 6.9 percent of high school seniors had tried the drugs, and in 2014 that number jumped to 13.5 percent.

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How to Tell If Your Child Is Using Drugs | Howcast - The best how-to videos on the web

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How to Tell If Your Child Is Using Drugs | Howcast - The best how-to videos on the web

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Learn how to tell if your child is on drugs from Dr. Paul Hokemeyer in this Howcast video.

Well the very first thing I tell parents who come to see me as an addictions therapist at the Caron Treatment Center in New York City is to trust your instincts. If you intuitively feel that your kids are using drugs, you need to act on that. And you need to look at other signs and symptoms of a drug addiction.

So for instance, how are they looking to you? How do they physically appear? Are they experiencing changes in their weight? Are they losing a lot of weight? Are they gaining a lot of weight? Are they sleeping a lot more? Are they irritable a lot more? Theses are the indications that your child could be using drugs.

What's also critically important is to know who your kids' friends are. In my experience, kids whose friends are using drugs are using drugs. And it's not just their friends who they hand out with in the neighborhood, it's also the people that they're hanging out with online. Listen, our kids live in two different worlds now. They live in a physical world of the neighborhood, and they're also living this other life online. So it's very important for parents to recognize that and to know where your kids are going online and who they're hanging out with.

So the key factors here are trusting your instincts, keeping your eyes and your ears open for behavioral changes in your child, and knowing who your kids' friends are, not just in the neighborhood, but also online.

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How to Tell If Your Child Is Using Drugs | Howcast

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Learn how to tell if your child is on drugs from Dr. Paul Hokemeyer in this Howcast video. Well the very first thing I tell parents who come to see me as an addictions therapist at the Caron Treatment Center in New York City is to trust your instincts.

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Teenage drug abuse skyrockets - CBS News

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Teenage drug abuse skyrockets - CBS News

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LOS ANGELES - At a June 2010 music rave in Los Angeles, thousands of teenagers were drunk and high, reports CBS News correspondent Ben Tracy.

15-year-old Sasha Rodriguez drank water laced with ecstasy. She later overdosed and died.

It may seem shocking, but in the last three years ecstasy use among teenagers has jumped 67 percent. One in 10 teens now use it. Marijuana use is up 22 percent, with four in 10 teens smoking pot, according to The Partnership at Drugfree.org.

Teen drug abuse rising: Why?

One group of high school students we spoke with said marijuana is not taboo.

"People look down upon someone who smokes cigarettes more than they look down upon weed," said high school senior Samantha Gerson.

"I'm kind of surprised that people don't think it's such a big deal," said high school junior Madeleine McSweeney.

As for alcohol, 71 percent of teens have a drink before they leave high school. On average they start at just 14 years old. Twenty-five percent of them have had a drink by age 12.

The group says they first saw alcohol when they were in 7th grade.

Experts say after years of declines in teen alcohol and drug use, parents and the government became complacent.

"Over this last decade there has been less of a message getting out if you will," said Steve Pasierb, president of The Partnership at Drugfree.org. "A lot of the programs that used to exist have been cut, through successive rounds of budget cuts."

The teens we talked to say drinking and smoking pot isn't something that just happens on the weekends at parties -- they say it happens all week long.

"There's people who do it after school, during school, on the weekends," said high school senior Rafe Aksad.

"You come and relax after the party by getting high and drinking," said Gerson. "It's never ending."

A non-stop party that can turn deadly.

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LOS ANGELES - At a June 2010 music rave in Los Angeles, thousands of teenagers were drunk and high, reports CBS News correspondent Ben Tracy. 15-year-old Sasha Rodriguez drank water laced with ecstasy. She later overdosed and died. It may seem shocking, but in the last three years ecstasy use among teenagers has jumped 67 percent.

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Prescription drugs kill one person every 19 minutes - YouTube

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Prescription drugs kill one person every 19 minutes - YouTube

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Maryland Chapter of the National Council on Alcoholism

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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Prescription drugs kill one person every 19 minutes

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The Quiet Epidemic: prescription drug abuse destroys millions of lives Nancy Rosen-Cohen The Baltimore Sun There isn't much attention paid to prescription drug abuse, except perhaps when a Hollywood star dies from an overdose. However, it is estimated that nearly one in five Americans has used prescription drugs for nonmedicinal reasons, and 15 percent may be abusing prescription drugs.

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The Overtaken Documentary (New) - YouTube

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The Overtaken Documentary (New) - YouTube

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Jodi Barber and Christine Brant have teamed up with Ashley Media to produce a documentary about the ongoing prescription pill epidemic in Orange County. This is the newest edition of the film, with slight modifications by the production company Modern Voyage, and was screened recently at the Newport Beach Film Festival.

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Prescription drug abuse part of 'secret life' of teens Parents TODAY - YouTube

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Prescription drug abuse part of 'secret life' of teens Parents TODAY - YouTube

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Prescription drug abuse part of 'secret life' of teens   Parents   TODAY

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Teenage Prescription Addiction: Kolina's Story - YouTube

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Teenage Prescription Addiction: Kolina's Story - YouTube

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Teenage Prescription Addiction: Kolina's Story

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Teen Prescription Drug Abuse On the Rise - YouTube

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Teen Prescription Drug Abuse On the Rise - YouTube

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Chandler Coalition on Youth Substance Abuse (CCYSA)

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Teen Prescription Drug Abuse On the Rise

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Faces of Prescription Drug Abuse: Michael Donta - YouTube

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Faces of Prescription Drug Abuse: Michael Donta - YouTube

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Faces of Prescription Drug Abuse: Michael Donta

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Ashland, Ky. father Mike Donta talks about his son Michael's struggle with prescription drug abuse.

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The Dangers of Prescription Pills; An Addict's Perspective - YouTube

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The Dangers of Prescription Pills; An Addict's Perspective - YouTube

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The Dangers of Prescription Pills; An Addict's Perspective

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This is a Vlog I made as a plea to all viewers currently under the pressures of the drug companies. I am a recovering addict from xanax, opiates, zolpidem and adderall. I have suffered so much and it's time to get the message out that these pills are dangerous.

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Teens Addicted to Prescription Drugs - YouTube

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Teens Addicted to Prescription Drugs - YouTube

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Hazelden, A Part of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation

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In this clip from the Hazelden video "Prescription Drug Abuse: A Prevention Video," teens discuss their addictions to prescription drugs and over-the-counter drugs. The clip discusses addictive prescription drugs and the negative effects, including how abuse can affect developing bodies and brain.

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Prescription drug abuse among teens still a concern, doctors say - ABC2News.com

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Prescription drug abuse among teens still a concern, doctors say - ABC2News.com

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TRUTH ABOUT PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE VIDEO - Real Life Stories – Zyprexa, Ritalin Abuse, Effexor, Xanax Addiction

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TRUTH ABOUT PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE VIDEO - Real Life Stories – Zyprexa, Ritalin Abuse, Effexor, Xanax Addiction

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TRUTH ABOUT PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE VIDEO - Real Life Stories - Zyprexa, Ritalin Abuse, Effexor, Xanax Addiction

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Watch the video and learn more about prescription drug addiction from former addicts through The Truth About Prescription Drugs series, including facts about the effects of substance abuse including permanent health risk, lethal overdose and withdrawal symptoms. Find prevention and intervention for misuse of pharmaceuticals, such as Zyprexa, Ritalin Abuse, Effexor, Xanax.

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REAL LIFE DRUG STORY VIDEOS – Drug Addiction Experiences – Teenage Drugs Stories

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REAL LIFE DRUG STORY VIDEOS – Drug Addiction Experiences – Teenage Drugs Stories

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REAL LIFE DRUG STORY VIDEOS - Drug Addiction Experiences - Teenage Drugs Stories

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Watch video and learn more about drug and alcohol abuse stories, addiction, treatment, rehabilitation and recovery from Drug Free World and The Truth About Drugs series. Find out how illegal substances, narcotics and stimulants like marijuana, cocaine, meth, ecstasy, and inhalants lead addicts to withdrawal and overdose

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Sukle: Colorado Governor’s Office Don’t Be A Lab Rat Campaign “Hotbox” on Vimeo

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Sukle: Colorado Governor’s Office Don’t Be A Lab Rat Campaign “Hotbox” on Vimeo

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Sukle: Colorado Governor's Office Don't Be A Lab Rat Campaign "Hotbox"

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Awesome audio/sound design here for this spot from Denver's Sukle Advertising for the Colorado Governor's Office "Don't Be A Lab Rat" Campaign that got a lot of attention in Colorado as of late. First having the music, kids talking on the inside of the car then those sounds reflecting with the open window.