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Raising Awareness About Medicine Abuse

October 20, 2009

Dr. Drew Pinsky is a nationally renowned drug abuse expert, the host of the popular radio show Loveline, and the star of the VH1 hits "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew" and "Sober House." This article is also available En Espanol.

I spend a lot of time helping people with substance abuse problems enter recovery; however it's just as important to talk about preventing substance abuse before it starts. That's why in honor of National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month, I have joined an incredible group of women from the Five Moms campaign to help educate parents about the problem of teens abusing over-the-counter (OTC) cough medicines to get high.

According to the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, 1 in 10 teens - more than 2.4 million young people - reports having abused OTC cough medicines to get high. And it isn't happening by accident. Teens are taking extreme amounts - sometimes 25 to 50 times the recommended dose - to get high off the active ingredient, dextromethorphan.

The good news is that when armed with the right information, we as parents can help prevent this type of abuse before it starts. Research indicates that teenagers whose parents talk to them on a regular basis about the dangers of drug abuse are nearly half as likely to use drugs than those whose parents do not.

But parents can't talk about a problem they don't know exists, which is why it's critical to make sure parents are aware of this dangerous behavior and armed with the information they need to help prevent this type of abuse in their own families.

I encourage each of you to learn more about OTC cough medicine abuse and help us spread the word about this behavior to as many parents as you can. StopMedicineAbuse.org makes this easy for you through this Tell-A-Friend tool

Our legislators also play a role in preventing this problem, which is why I'm spending the day today meeting with congressional staff on Capitol Hill. The Five Moms and I are encouraging them to pass key legislation that would prohibit the sale of the raw form of dextromethorphan online and prohibit the sale of OTC cough medicine to those under 18 years of age.

Over the next few months, I'll be sharing video messages with you featuring important tips on what parents should be on the lookout for as well as what they can do to address the problem of teen cough medicine abuse. In the meantime, visit StopMedicineAbuse.org, sign up to be a member of the Five Moms campaign, and join these efforts on Facebook at www.facebook.com/stopmedicineabuse.

Dr. Drew and the Five Moms Campaign on Capitol Hill

On October 19-20, 2009, Dr. Drew and several leading mommy bloggers joined members of the Five Moms campaign for a visit to Washington, D.C. View photos from the trip, where the group met with legislators and Hill staff, to help spread the word about over-the-counter cough medicine abuse.

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