More than three out of five teens say that prescription pain relievers are easy to pilfer from their family bathroom.
Prescription drugs are more popular with teens than cocaine, heroin, and meth combined. Nearly one in five teens have used prescription drugs to get high, and almost one in ten high school seniors have reported abusing a prescription drug in the past year.
Accidental fatal drug overdoses have soared by 500 percent since 1990, with prescription painkillers largely to blame. The rate of fatal overdose among 15- to 24-year-olds has spiked 300 percent in recent years.
Be aware of what medications you keep, and in what quantities, so that you will notice if pills start to go missing. Are prescriptions in need of refilling earlier than expected? Remember also to safely dispose of old and no longer needed pills.