James Barrett, PhD

One of the disturbing trends among youth today is “pill parties.”  These are gatherings where teens bring prescription pills or over-the-counter cold medicines to a party and mix the medications with alcohol.  It goes without saying that mixing medications can be deadly.  Thankfully, drug stores and supermarkets are recognizing this trend and putting cold medicine behind the counter and asking for ID before purchase.  However, many parents are not as diligent when it comes to accounting for the old medications in the home.   It is so important for parents to take the initiative and keep prescription pills and medications in a safe place.    If you have old meds left over in the medicine cabinet, flush them.  Finally, while you may be sure that your kids would never take medications from the home but you cannot be sure that friends or acquaintances that come to the home won’t take medications if they are accessible.  It sounds cliche, but a little prevention goes a long way.