I will continue to ~SPEAK OUT~

Dr. Keller,

I came across a reference to a survey done by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University the other day. It is one of those “good news-bad news” bits of information.

While they have not seen an increase in drug use (that’s the good news), I found one set of findings particularly disturbing (although there was really nothing not disturbing in the findings):

For the first time in the CASA survey’s history, more teens said prescription drugs were easier to buy than beer (19 vs. 15 percent). The proportion of teens who say prescription drugs are easiest to buy jumped 46 percent since 2007 (13 vs. 19 percent). Almost half (46 percent) of teens say painkillers are the most commonly abused prescription drug among teens.

That first statement is incredible. Will this increased ease of acquiring prescription drugs to use and abuse lead to increased use in the near future? I think that it is very likely.

When teens who know prescription drug abusers were asked where those kids get their drugs:
• 31 percent said from friends or classmates;
• 34 percent said from home, parents or the medicine cabinet;
• 16 percent said other;
• Nine percent said from a drug dealer
The second listed source, in particular, should be relatively easy to control and we must get control or risk our children’s health and future.

It is easy to forget the illicit use of licit drugs in our haste to control illicit drug use, but our drug problem is a bigger problem.

Dr. Richard Keller, Lake County Coroner

I added a comment to Dr. Keller's blog -
I quoted this from the excerpt you posted Dr. Keller~

“Preventing substance abuse among teens is primarily a Mom and Pop operation,” noted Califano. “It is inexcusable, that so many parents fail to appropriately monitor their children, fail to keep dangerous prescription drugs out of the reach of their children and tolerate drug infected schools. The parents who smoke marijuana with children should be considered child abusers. By identifying the characteristics of problem parents we seek to identify actions that parents can take—and avoid—in order to become part of the solution and raise healthy, drug-free children.”

In my opinion!
Seems a great percentage of suburban parents & school system & the children themselves in my community just don't get it they seem to like to deny this entire drug issue.

YES THIS IS SO WRONG!

I do understand that an addict will do what ever it takes, lie, cheat steal, manipulate ~ to get what they want - some are predisposed to this disease ~ yes these issues start at home ~ some things are out of the control of parents, teachers & friends.

Sometimes you have to set them free to follow their own path with hopes that they make the right choices.

Great article - thank you for posting!