With cold and flu season right around the corner, I thought this information would be appreciated in the parents of teen community.

Unfortunately, it seems that abusing over-the-counter and prescription drugs are back on the rise amongst our pre-teens and teens.

Cold medicine is recorded as being the drug of choice and because cold medicines are easily accessible to teens, the problem is spreading quickly.

An article sited in the HearldNet states:

“Recent data on drug trends in this country show that teens see abusing prescription drugs and over-the-counter medicines as safer than street drugs. In fact, nationwide, teen abuse of prescription drugs is on the rise while the use of street drugs, such as heroin or marijuana, is declining.”

While you may think that there isn’t much you can do to prevent this from becoming a problem for your child, there are things that you can do:

- Be sure to talk to your teen about the dangers of using too much medicine. Let them know that that there is a way to overdose on over-the-counter medicines and they can be fatal.

- Keep track of how much medication is in your home and be sure that you teen lets you know when they are taking medications.

If you would like more information on how to talk to your teens about drugs, simply visit

—> http://parentingmyteen.com/addictions/how-to-talk-to-your-kids-about-sex-drugs-alcohol/

Take Care,

P.S. This month, Parenting My Teen will is being sponsored by Kids In Biz. Tune in for our new show on Monday, August, 11th!