With prescription drug abuse having reached epidemic proportions, a call to action is being heard across the country by the medical community. In April 2013, the Maryland State Dental Association (MSDA) and the Maryland Board of Dental Examiners announced that all Maryland Licensed Dentists, in order to renew licensure and practice dentistry, are required to complete a continuing education course entitled "Prescribing and Disposal of Prescription Drugs."
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly one-third of people aged 12 and over who used drugs for the first time in
2009 began by using a prescription drug non-medically. On the Mouth Healthy website of the American Dental Association (ADA), it states: "Unfortunately, prescription medications have become a leading source of drug abuse among teens and young adults. These medications are often obtained from a friend or family member who had received a prescription for a legitimate purpose. Parents are sometimes fooled into handing over these drugs to treat an apparent symptom of physical distress or pain. More often, they are stolen from the medicine cabinet or lifted from the trash."
In an effort to relieve pain after a dental procedure, dentists may prescribe a narcotic analgesic for a patient. When used as prescribed for a limited amount of time, these medications are effective. But using these drugs beyond a limited reasonable period of time or for any other purpose is illegal, dangerous, and can even be fatal.
The ADA offers suggestions on what you can do
to help in the fight against
prescription drug abuse:
- Communicate. Talk with your children about the dangers of using prescription drugs for non-medical purposes. Be sure they understand that prescription drugs are not necessarily safe (or safer) just because they are legal. Prescription drugs can be just as addictive and dangerous (even fatal) as illegal street drugs. They are also only legal for the person for whom they are prescribed.
- Secure. Properly secure your prescription medications. Do not leave them in predictable, accessible places like your medicine cabinet. Hide them in unexpected places or, better yet, lock them up to ensure you do not become your teen’s supplier.
- Monitor. Be mindful of whether anyone else—especially your child and his or her friends—may have been taking your pills. Take note of how many pills are in each of your prescription bottles or pill packets and keep track of your refills. This goes for your own medicine, as well as for your teens and other members of the household.
- Dispose. Properly dispose of your unused, unwanted or expired prescription medications. If you are unable to attend a drug take-back day or cannot get to a permanent prescription collection site, try mixing unwanted prescription medicines with coffee grounds or kitty litter. This makes pills less appealing and less recognizable to anyone who can see your trash—including your kids.
- Spread the word. Tell your family, friends and neighbors about how teens are now using prescription drugs to get high. Encourage them to talk with their children, safeguard their medicines and tell others in their communities.
