SPECIAL FEATURE
Nation's Emergency
Physicians Warn Parents
About the Dangers
of Prescription Drug Abuse
and Give Advice on
How to Protect Kids
With
reports of increased prescription
drug overdoses in emergency
departments, the nation's emergency
physicians are issuing a strong
warning to parents about the dangers
of abusing prescription drugs, which
are now the second most abused
drugs, after marijuana. Hospital
visits caused by accidental and
unintentional prescription drug
overdoses went up 37 percent between
1999 and 2006, according to new data
released by the American Journal of
Preventive Medicine.
"Often when you hear that someone
has overdosed on drugs you think of
illegal substances, such as cocaine
or heroin," said Dr. Angela Gardner,
president of the American College of
Emergency Physicians (ACEP). "But
parents need to know that many young
people are taking prescription drugs
from the medicine cabinets. Many of
the kids wrongly believe the drugs
are not addictive, and they don't
realize they can be lethal."
Nearly three-quarters of a million
people (741,425) needed emergency
care in 2006 because of prescription
drug abuse. The types of
prescription drugs most commonly
abused are painkillers, such as
OxyContin and Vicodin. Also, central
nervous system depressants (or
barbiturates), such as Valium and
Xanax, are common. Twelve- to
14-year old girls are more likely
than boys to have abused
prescription drugs and to have
higher rates of dependence.
Dr. Gardner said prescription drugs
are only safe for the person they
are prescribed for and that is only
if the patient takes them according
to directions.
Abuse of prescription drugs can lead
to physical dependence and
addiction. Some depress breathing or
slow down brain function. Some, if
combined with other medications that
cause drowsiness or with alcohol,
can dangerously slow down heart rate
and breathing. Stimulants, such as
amphetamines, can cause anxiety,
paranoia, dangerously high body
temperatures, irregular heartbeat or
seizures.
Steps you can take to help avoid
prescription drug abuse:
u
Keep prescription drugs in a safe
place that only you can access.
u
Keep inventory of all medications,
including prescription and
over-the-counter drugs. This
includes keeping accurate counts of
your pills.
u
Keep all doctors' appointments so
your physicians can monitor and
adjust your medications if
necessary.
u
Stay informed. Ask your doctors,
pharmacists and other
knowledgeable parties
questions about the medications you
are prescribed. What are the
addictive qualities, the side
effects, etc?
u
Never increase or decrease the dose
of your medication without checking
with your doctor first.
u
Never take a prescription drug that
is not intended for you and you
only.
u
Unused prescription drugs should be
returned to the pharmacist. Also,
unless the label instructs
differently, those drugs can be
disposed in the trash.
Different categories of drugs
(stimulants, sedatives, opioids)
have different symptoms, but here
are some signs that your child may
be abusing prescription drugs:
u
Sudden changes in mood or
personality
¾
Does your child get irritable,
abusive or negative?
u
Defensiveness
¾
When trying to hide a drug
dependency, an abuser can
become very defensive, paranoid, and
secretive. They might react to
simple requests by lashing out.
u
Change in daily habits and
appearance
¾
Is someone you know neglecting their
hygiene for example? It's a sign of
drug abuse.
u
Usage increase
¾
Is someone you know increasing their
dosage? It's an indication that the
amount they are used to no longer
provides relief.
u
Memory loss
¾
Does your child forget events that
have taken place or act clumsy?
For more information on prescription
drug abuse and other health related
topics, go to
www.EmergencyCareForYou.org.
ACEP and MedicAlert Foundation are
partnering to promote
EmergencyCareforYou.org and to
educate the public about medical
emergencies.
MedicAlert
Foundation pioneered the first
medical identification and emergency
medical information service in 1956
to provide people with a simple but
effective method for communicating
their medical conditions. Since the
organization's founding, MedicAlert
Foundation has provided services and
products that help to protect and
save lives for its four million
members worldwide. For more than 50
years, the nonprofit foundation has
relayed vital medical information on
behalf of its members to emergency
responders so they receive faster
and safer treatment. MedicAlert IDs
alert emergency personnel to a
member's primary health conditions.
In addition to its 24-hour emergency
response service, MedicAlert
Foundation also provides family and
caregiver notification so that
members can be reunited with their
loved ones. For more information,
visit www.medicalert.org.
ACEP is a national medical specialty
society representing emergency
medicine. ACEP is committed to
advancing emergency care through
continuing education, research and
public education. Headquartered in
Dallas, Texas, ACEP has 53 chapters
representing each state, as well as
Puerto Rico and the District of
Columbia. A Government Services
Chapter represents emergency
physicians employed by military
branches and other government
agencies.
05/24/10
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