New Jersey Parents Believe Kids Score Drugs at Home

A troubling new survey released last week by the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey cast new light on the abuse of prescription meds by middle-school students and young people. According to the parents surveyed, 26% of New Jersey’s middle-school students are believed to be abusing prescription medications. 68% of the parents also thought that the kids were getting the drugs at home—right from their own medicine cabinets.

Though the report doesn’t necessarily reflect the actual usage of prescription drugs among young teenagers, it does reflect the parents’ anxiety about their kids and drugs. The rate of New Jersey parents with expired drugs in their homes has dropped, from 42% to 35%, which is a sign that parents are trying to limit their kids’ exposure to harmful drugs. However, only 9% of parents lock their medicine cabinets, and 44% say the throw away unused medication in the household trash, where it could be potentially picked out and used by kids. Though alcohol is still the most-used substance among middle-schoolers, prescription drugs are in third place after tobacco.

If you suspect your child might be using or abusing prescription drugs, take steps now to help them. Thankfully, there is good help available. Please don’t hesitate to call Seabrook for any and all drug and alcohol related questions. We’re experts in drugs, alcohol, addiction, and recovery. At Seabrook, we specialize in customizing our treatment plans to individual patient’s needs, so you know the help you’re getting is right for you or a loved one. Seabrook has rehabilitation centers in New Jersey (NJ), Pennsylvania (PA), and an outpatient center in New York (NY). Contact Seabrook today for any questions about drug dependence, medications, and safety.