Teen Rx drug abuse not a major concern of US parents

A mere 6% of parents in the USA are concerned about their children abusing prescription drugs, according to a survey released by Project 7th Grade, a national program of notMYkid, a non-profit organization devoted to drug abuse prevention among teens, in conjunction with First Check Diagnostics Corp, a provider of over-the-counter home drug testing kits and consumer health diagnostic technologies. "With statistics showing at least three students in every high school classroom abusing prescription drugs, parents cannot afford to underestimate this threat or leave prescription drug abuse out of conversations when talking to their kids about drugs," it was stated.

As parents across the country prepare to send their teens back to school, they must be aware of the potential dangers their children will likely encounter during the school year," said Debbie Moak, co-founder of Project 7th Grade and notMYkid. "The good news is that we are seeing a decrease in the use of some traditionally popular illicit drugs. The bad news is that teens' use and abuse of easily accessible prescription drugs continues to grow at an alarming rate - yet parents aren't concerned about that threat," she added.

Key findings of the survey include: two-thirds of parents believe their children will first be exposed to drugs between the ages of 10 and 15; close to 75% of respondents believe that drug testing of teens should be the responsibility of parents; over 70% of parents say they have not purchased a home drug test kit because they have not had the need. However, over 36% of high school seniors reported using illicit drugs at some point in the year; by age 17, 70% of teens will have been offered an illegal drug; and almost 80% of parents deny there are easily accessible prescription drugs in their home.