LANSING – The House today passed a resolution from State Representative Robert Dean (D-Grand Rapids) that calls on school officials, health professionals and parents to educate children about the dangers of misusing and abusing prescription drugs and over-the-counter (OTC) medications.
"Every day, people die from using perfectly legal drugs that were not meant for them," Dean said. "It's important that children realize that legal drugs can be just as deadly as illegal ones. As we work to create jobs now and get our economy back on track, we all must play a part in educating our children about this important subject and keep dangerous drugs out of their hands."
Dean pointed to the tragic case of Rockford teenager Spencer Brendt, who died from an allergic reaction after taking some of his mother's pain pills to ease the pain from an injury. Brendt was unaware that prescription drugs are only safe for the person they are prescribed for.
Meanwhile, prescription and OTC drugs are becoming increasingly popular among teenagers as a way to get high. According to the University of Michigan "Monitoring the Future" survey, 3 percent of 8th graders, 7 percent of 10th graders, and about 10 percent of 12th graders abused prescription drugs in 2006.
Drug abuse can have a very damaging effect on the still-developing brains of children and young adults. Prescription and OTC medications that are abused or used for non-medical reasons can alter brain activity and lead to addiction.
"The Brendt tragedy shows without proper oversight and information, medicines meant to help can have dreadful, terrible consequences," said State Representative Tom Pearce (R-Rockford), who represents the district where the Brendts live. "Nothing is more important than the safety of our children, and with misuse and abuse of prescription and OTC drugs on the rise, now is the time to talk to them about it."