“7th Heaven” Star Says There Are Steps You Can Take to Prevent Drug Abuse

Prescription medicine is a great option for many medical conditions when used in the right way. However, many people don’t realize the risks associated with leaving prescription medication unattended at home. This is especially true for medications such as tranquilizers, stimulants and pain relievers that are highly addictive.

Anyone can abuse left-over or easy-to-find medications, even teens. Catherine Hicks, 7th Heaven’s star and advocate for parents is working with Safeguard My Meds national campaign to educate Americans about how they can help prevent prescription drug abuse by keeping their medication safe in their homes.

According to government statistics, 70% of prescription pain reliever users aged 12 or older say they were given by a friend or relative.

“As the parent of a teenager, I know how important this issue is. Every day, more than 2,500 teenagers abuse prescription medicine for the first time, and they don’t even need to leave the house to do it,”Hicks.

A national survey has shown that Americans store their prescription medication in the kitchen and bathroom. This is where anyone could easily find them.

Hicks believes that these simple steps can make all the difference.

* Keep medication in a locked storage container in a cool, dry place out of the reach of visitors, children and pets;

* Keep a list of medicines in your home;

* Never share prescription medicine with anyone else;

* Talk to your community pharmacists about the best way to store and get rid of medicine no longer needed;

* Visit the site www.safeguardmymeds.orgFor more information and tools on how to keep your home medication safe, see the following:

* Tell friends and family to keep their medications safe.

“When we keep prescription medicine in our homes, we need to keep those medicines safe, said Keith Hodges, pharmacist and executive committee member of the National Community Pharmacists Association. “Everyone can make a difference in storing and disposing medicine the right way.”

Safeguard My Meds is a free resource offered by the National Community Pharmacists Association and Purdue Pharma L.P. Visit .safeguardmymeds.org”>www.safeguardmymeds.org.