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— Make Time to Listen; Take Time to Talk
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Make Time to Listen…Take Time to Talk about Prescription Drug Abuse
Prescription drug abuse is more common with older adolescents and teenagers, but it's never too early to begin educating your children on the potential dangers. An important point to reiterate with children is that medicine is not the only way to get better or stay healthy, and that rest and a healthy diet can also help them feel better when they're sick. If they grow up thinking that pills cure everything, it will be set them up to over medicate in the future or always be looking for some sort of medicine to solve their problems. When visiting the doctor, it's good to make a point to talk about prescriptions and how they can be very dangerous if not taken properly or taken by the person that they are prescribed for. Read the prescription label with your child and show that it says their name on it and the proper way to use the medication. Make sure that they know to only take the medicine from you or another trusted adult. A common misconception is that because medicine comes from the doctor it isn't harmful. However, many prescription drugs are just as addictive as illegal drugs, and raising our children's awareness now will help them to make more informed decisions in the future.
