CHPA unveils medicines abuse awareness campaign

The US Consumer Healthcare Products Association has unveiled a multi-pronged effort to curb the abuse of prescription and over-the-counter medicines and draw public attention to this troubling substance abuse trend among teenagers. A major component of this initiative is a national public awareness campaign created in cooperation with the Partnership for a Drug-Free America.

It says that research conducted by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America shows that teens across the nation are looking to their family medicine cabinets in an effort to get high. In addition to certain prescription drugs, a surprising number of teens are intentionally abusing OTC cough medicines containing dextromethorphan. This form of abuse involves taking extreme amounts of cough medicine to get high.

"It's important that parents understand that that their children may be abusing - by taking exceedingly higher doses than what is recommended - the very medicines that we use to safely and effectively treat common everyday ailments," said Linda Suydam, president of the CHPA. "The goal of the OTC medicine makers in supporting this campaign is to make parents more aware and encourage them to talk to their kids so we can put a stop to this abuse and prevent it from continuing," she added.