Protect Your Children from Medications in the Home

We are constantly reminded about the dangers that our children may encounter outside our homes – potential predators, the reckless motorist after dark, the unwanted online contact. What is more difficult to recognize are those conditions, right in our own homes, that pose a threat to the safety and health of our children. For example, you might be surprised to learn that the most common source of illegal drugs for children is the medicine cabinet in their home.

Two recent and comprehensive studies by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) reveal:

• In the age 12 and over population, there are as many new prescription drug abusers as there are new marijuana users.
• Prescription drugs are among the most commonly abused drug (including tobacco and alcohol) among 12-13 year olds.
• Among 12-17 year olds, girls are more likely than boys to abuse prescription drugs.
• Nearly half (47%) of teens who use prescription drugs say they get them for free from a relative or friend.
• Prescription drug abuse is linked to an increase in other illegal behavior and depression.

Closer to home, these results are consistent with confidential surveys of North Reading students reflected in our 2023 Core Measurement Survey.

Why are prescription drugs so popular? Leaving aside the easy access, teens also believe the myth that these drugs provide a medically safe high. Yet, the evidence shows that adolescents are more likely than young adults to become dependent on prescription medication.

Knowing that prescription drugs in your home may become the source of choice for your children or the people they hang out with, is there something you can do to prevent this danger? Here are four recommendations:

• Dispose of your unwanted, unused and/or expired prescription and pet drugs on Saturday, April 27th from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the O’Leary Senior Center at 151 Park Street. This event is being conducted in a safe, secure, and environmentally-friendly manner in partnership with the North Reading Police Department and Drug Enforcement Agency.
• Keep track of your current medications – for example, know exactly how many pills you have left for your various prescriptions – and store these items in a secure place.
• Purchase an in-home lock box for your medications. Keep the key in a separate private location away from young people or hidden from guests.
• Request a free drug deactivation bag from the Community Impact Team. These bags contain chemicals to render drugs inactive and are suitable for pills, patches, and liquid medications. The sealable bags can then be disposed of safely in the trash (flushing medications can create a negative environmental impact). Deactivation bags are also able to be delivered to all Meals on Wheels clients in partnership with the O’Leary Senior Center, are available at the Food Pantry, and can be delivered to home mailboxes. To receive a free drug deactivation bag, contact Amy Luckiewicz at coalition@northreadingma.gov or call 978-357-5054.

If you or a loved one need assistance with accessing mental health or substance abuse treatment, contact North Reading Mental Health/Substance Use Clinician Laura Miranda at 978-357-5038 or email lmiranda@nrpd.org.