Monitoring Your Medicines

Over-the-counter (OTC) medications like cold and cough medicines are designed to make you feel better when you’re sick, but like prescription medication, they can also have negative implications on your health if they are used improperly. How to Dispose of OTC Medications If you discover that your teen is abusing OTC medications, your first instinct […]

It’s hard to find a family that hasn’t been impacted by substance abuse in some way. And even though we know the prevalence of teenage substance use is high, denial is often stronger. “Not my teen,” we think. Or we minimize it: “Kids experiment. What’s a little beer or cough syrup?” The problem is many […]

As our teens get ready to head back to school, it’s important that we, as parents, prepare for what can happen when our teens are suddenly stressed out from schoolwork and overwhelmed by peer pressure. In order to find temporary relief from these stressors, our teens might consider experimenting in dangerous activities, such as drugs, […]

There are plenty of reasons for parents to be concerned about their teenagers abusing over-the-counter cough medicines containing dextromethorphan: Some 5 percent of teens report abusing these medicines; they are inexpensive, easy to obtain, and potentially deadly if combined with other drugs and alcohol. Here’s another yet reason for concern: I believe DXM abuse can […]