A community forum on November 12, 2009 brought lawmakers, parents, educators, law enforcement and healthcare professionals together to discuss solutions to the dangerous trend of teens abusing medicine to get high.
The meeting, sponsored by Drug Use Is Life Abuse (DUILA), Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) and the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) was at the Capistrano Unified School District Office in San Juan Capistrano. The goal was to raise awareness about the problems of prescription drug and over-the-counter cough medicine abuse among teens.
Recent studies have spotlighted medicine abuse, including the abuse of over-the-counter (OTC) cough medicines, as an alarming trend among young people. When used correctly, these drugs are safe and effective. But when abused, these drugs can produce dangerous side effects, including death.
“Through collaborative efforts and united resources, CHPA and CADCA are helping us to educate our community about this dangerous trend,” said Marilyn MacDougall, Executive Director of DUILA. “From parents and educators to law enforcement officials, it is imperative that we come together to learn about medicine abuse so that we can raise awareness about its dangers among our teens.”