1. Number of Children Poisoned by Prescription
Drugs Rises by One Third
Written by Antonino Bologna
June 4, 2013
| Last Updated on Wednesday, 05 June, 2013 09:42
The number of children ages 5 and younger that are being poisoned by their parents’ prescription drugs
has risen by a third over the past decade. The most severe cases are those of children who have taken
their parents opiates, as these drugs usually result in fatalities. On the other hand, a large number of
children have been poisoned from taking high blood pressure and diabetes pills as well. The fact of the
matter is that for children who are under the age of five, the amount of chemical in any type of
prescription drug that is meant for adults can be lethal to their tiny digestive systems.
The fact that children are able to access the prescription medication of their parents is a sign that all
medication needs to be kept in a safe place that is unreachable to anyone besides the person taking the
medication and/or other responsible adults. Children should have no access whatsoever to any type of
prescription medication. Opiate dependence can start at any age, and if a child is lucky enough to
survive ingesting an opiate drug, the chances that they will become addicted later on in life become
even higher. Either way, it’s imperative that stricter measures be taken to ensure that children cannot
access adult medication.
A two year old who accidentally ingests mom’s opiate prescription needs to have much different
precautions than the 14 year old who intentionally steals the drug. In Florida and other states, they are
making it nearly impossible to obtain a prescription for opiate medication unless you are literally dying
of cancer. While this may be one form of a solution, the majority of the country still writes out deadly
prescriptions readily. In order to safeguard children, there has to be stricter criminal charges for the
parents of children who somehow get into their stashes. It’s not enough to say that accidents happen.
There is a level of social responsibility that comes with having a prescription to a lethal drug, especially
opiates. Prescription drug abuse in the United States is at an all-time high and it isn’t a new
phenomenon that now the children of addicts are being affected. Opiate addiction is a major problem in
the U.S and abroad and if you or someone you know if suffering from the disease of addiction there are
solutions. Depending on the progression of the disease, the addicted individual may need detox or long
term treatment. In order to determine what type of care is needed, it’s important that you call a
professional at a substance abuse treatment program who can assess the situation and make the best
judgment calls based on the information provided as well as the mental state that the person is in. No
matter what type of addiction you are suffering from, there are a number of different solutions that can
put on the road to recovery in order to live a better life.