A stove, a knife, a car: these are all things that can be extremely useful when used correctly, and extremely dangerous when used incorrectly. So we spend a lot of time helping our children understand how to use them correctly and the dangers of misusing them, and we start this process early. Cough medicine also is a useful tool when we are ill if it is used properly. It can help get rid of our coughs and get us through the night or day. But like those other items, it can be dangerous when abused. When kids abuse cough medicine, they are taking excessive doses of 25-50 times the recommend amount, and they are doing it to get high. Educate yourself so you can help your teens understand the dangers of these extreme amounts of cough medicine. Make sure they understand that those dangers can even increase if cough medicine is abused along with alcohol or other drugs. Help your teens understand the risks.