As parents, protecting our children from the world of drugs and alcohol is a never ending battle. With profit and non-for-profit organizations as well as schools working together, the prevalance of illicit drug use has declined in the last several years. Unfortunately, what is not known by many parents, is the increase use of prescription medication in what is known as “pharming. As parents, understanding the implications of pharming parties, the dynamics of the individuals involved and the signs and symptoms, will ensure the battle against drug use continues and is successful within our homes.
Pharming” is a growing phenomenon among teenagers in the United States. Used interchangeably, Pharming, in terms of drug use, involves the abuse of prescription drugs by teenagers. With pharmaceutical sales at an all time high, with the innovation of online precription sales, teenagers are becoming more saavy in the use of prescription medications as an alternative to illicit drug use.
Unfortunately, for teenagers, what is not realized is the potential health hazards with mixing several prescription drugs. Teens simply do not realize the contraindications of utilizing certain prescription drugs together.
As parents, the first step to protecting a teenager is to communicate. Discuss the important of pharmaceuticals within the medical industry and encourage the teen to research contraindications. Next, parents should ensure all prescription medications are secured and out of reach of the teenager.
