"I started taking the presciption drugs when I was 15 years old," said a women named Kristi-Lee. "I felt that I had to be thin and attractive, so our family doctor prescribed diet pills for m. The only time I felt good was when it seemed that boys looked and admired me. Eventually, I moved on to hard drugs and the immoral life-style that went with them. I was always trying to reach the best high."

Another women named Misha suffered from headaches, so her personal doctor prescribed a pain reliever. In time, she began taking more and more pills, not just for headaches but to satisfy her need of addiction. Moreover, she began taking pills prescribed for other members of her family.

There are many reports that indicate a growing number of youths and a surprising number of older people are misusing prescription drugs in an effort to calm down, cope with life and anxiety, stay alert, lose weight, or to experience a high. Some of the most frequently abused drugs are those found in your homes: pain relievers, sedatives, stimulants, and tranquilizers. Abused products also include such over-the-counter drugs as sleeping aids, decongestants, and allergy pills.

This problem is widespread and growing. In parts of Africa, Europe, and South Asia, for example, the avuse of prescription drugs is overtaking that of street drugs. In the United States, prescription drug abuse exceeds that of virtually all illicit products except cannabis. In a recent newspaper report, more 12 to 17 year olds "abuse prescription drugs than cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamines combined." Indeed, the demand is so high that it has given rise to a counterfeit prescription-drug industry.

How can you protect yourself and your children from the abuse of drugs-prescription or illicit? Here are a few articles that I have read and examined for this question.

 A girl named Angie overheard her parents saying that her brother's medicine curbed his appetite. Because Angie was concerned about her weight, she started sneaking her brother's pills, taking one every few days. To redice the risk of her parents' finding out, she asked a friend who was using the same medication to her some of his pills.*From TeensHealth Web site.

Why the fascination with prescription drugs? One reason is it easily available in where they could be right there at home or someone elses' home. Second, many young people wrongly assume that ehey are not doing anything illegal when they take medicinal drugs without a prescription. And third, prescription drugs seem less toxic than their illicit counterparts. And chidren seem to think that if they take medicine out of their own cabinet they assume it must be safe.

Granted when properly used, prescribed medication may improve health and the quality of life and even save lives. But if misused, it can be as unsafe as street drugs. For example, when a person abuses certain prescription stimulants, he may bring on heart failure or siezures. Other products can lower a person's breathing rate and ultimately cause death. A drug may also have a harmful effect if it is taken with certain other drugs or with alcohol. In 2008, Heath Ledger had died "from a deadly mix of six tranquilizers, sleeping pills, and painkillers."

Another potential danger is addiction.
When taken in excessive amounts or for the wrong reason, some substances act lke street drugs in where they stimulate pleasure centers in the brain, which can lead to a craving for the substance. But instead of providing ongoing excitement or helping people cope with life, drug abuse only makes matters worse. It may heighten stress, deepen depression, ruin health and the ability to function properly, lead to addictio, or do all of these things.

1. Follow directions carefully.
2. Don't change doses without consulting your doctor.
3. Don't stop taking prescribed medication on your own. 
4. Don't crush or break pills unless specified or instructed to do so. 
5. Be aware of the effect the drug may have on your driving and other activites.
6. Find out how the drug may interact with alcohol and with other medications that are over the counter.
7. If you have a history of substance abuse, tell your doctor.
8. Do not use drugs prescribed for someone else, and do not share your own.*

Based on reccomendations provided by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 

 Concerned parents rightly ask, "Why are more and more teens sneaking into the medicine cabinet?" The answers are varied. Some young ones seek excitement. Others want to study more effectively or numb anxiety. Still others may be suffering physically or emotionally and simply want to feel better. Children 12 years of age have become full-fledged abusers of prescription drugs, perhaps ordering them from one or more of literally hundreds of thousands of websites that readily provide such drugs. No questions asked. Others have purchased pills from so-called friends. If you are a parent, what can you do to protect your children?

For one thing, talk openly to them about the dangers of taking drugs prescribed or illicit. Also, keep prescriptions in a safe place or perhaps locking the medicine cabinet. Know what you have on hand, and moniter usage. If a drug is no longer needed, safely discard it. If a teen is over his cough but is still taking medicine, ask him about it. And keep an eye on your child's Internet and credit-card activity and mail deliveries. Finally, be alert if any changes in his or her associations, appearance, or behavior or to any sudden drop in school grades.

 If your child has a drug problem or you seriously suspect one, what can you do? You need to to discuss your concerns with your child, doing so in a loving and kind manner. Drawing the truth from a child with a suspected drug problem may be like lifting a bucket of water with a frail rope. If y ou pull too hard by being accusatory or bitterly angry, you might break the rope of communication. Remember, you goal is two-fold. First, you want to find out whether there is a problem. And second, if there is a problem, what the underlying reasons are for it. Othen those reasons involve one or more of the following.

• Unwholesome associates and peer pressure.
• Stress
• lack of behavorial boundries 

Protect your child. Be safe and help this world get to a better place.