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Honored Contributor
Posts: 16,083
Registered: ‎09-01-2010

Re: Warning if you have kids/grandkids and Prescription drugs

Back in the early 70’s, one of my cousins had a girlfriend who would steal medication and drink anything with an alcohol base.   My dad physically removed, and banned her from our house after she drank his after shave and 2 bottles of vanilla flavoring.    

Honored Contributor
Posts: 18,415
Registered: ‎11-25-2011

Re: Warning if you have kids/grandkids and Prescription drugs

This scenario reminds me of ‘Don’t Drink & Drive’ PSAs.

 

Within the last couple yrs, the announcement now states

notmto drink & drive because (you the driver) will have your 

license taken away & sit in jail.

 

NOTHING about the empathy of others.

NOTHING about how they could’ve killed someone

NOTHING about how they did cause an accident &

the victims are suffering.

Nope.

Just how the driver’s day is going to be ruined.

Zero Empathy.

 

I’m reading upthread where we have to scare the parents who

have the legal prescribed medication....how THEIR day is going

to be ruined before any action is to be taken.

 

NOTHING about how their child is committing illegal activity.

NOTHING about how their child wants to hurt someone.

NOTHING about how another child is going to be injured.

Nope.

Just how the original parent’s day is going to be ruined by a lawsuit.

Zero Empathy.

 

Yes, if a 3rd party is hurt/killed...action should be taken.

But locking or no locking meds is not the solution.

It’s just the symptom of a bigger issue.

Kids don’t wake up one day wanting to take Mom’s legal medications.

Kids don’t wake up one day wanting to share meds to other kids.

There’s a bigger issue no one wants to address.

 

Unless I’m reading this scenario completely wrong,

I’m reading that we have ALOT of lazy parenting now.

It’s always ‘someone else’s fault.’

No one is taking responsibility to address the foundational problem. 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 17,220
Registered: ‎06-09-2014

Re: Warning if you have kids/grandkids and Prescription drugs

@RedTop  I feel so sorry for her.  People with that kind of addiction are usually tough cases to turn around and no lay person is qualified to do it.  Good for the dad for protecting his daughter.  

Honored Contributor
Posts: 16,083
Registered: ‎09-01-2010

Re: Warning if you have kids/grandkids and Prescription drugs

@Laura14,

The person I referred to struggled with addiction for 40+ years.   She OD’d at least 20x, and was very well known by every EMS and ER employee in this county.  

 

She is now in her early 70’s, alcohol and drug free.   My cousin did not marry her, but they had children, and now there are grandchildren and great grandchildren in her daily life.   

 

If ever there was anyone who should be talking to students about addiction, it should be her.   The stealing medication and drinking started in 10th grade, and went into her 50’s.   

Honored Contributor
Posts: 17,220
Registered: ‎06-09-2014

Re: Warning if you have kids/grandkids and Prescription drugs

@RedTop  I am so thankful she is alive and past that.  I remember the people who used to come in and speak to us in school about drugs and I can vividly remember a man saying just this. He was drinking mouthwash and all kinds of crazy things to get alcohol.

 

So glad to hear she is free of that and has a nice family to enjoy now  Heart

Honored Contributor
Posts: 31,600
Registered: ‎05-10-2010

Re: Warning if you have kids/grandkids and Prescription drugs

[ Edited ]

Good kids?  I don't know about that, also I doubt she got sick from 1 oxycontin.  It's more like that they both stole drugs from home and the mixture made her sick.  Also, no the boy's mother is not at fault in any way.  The boy is teenager, the girl is teenager; they knew exactly what they were doing.  So, they got caught.  Hopefully they learned something.  Probably not....   Yes, we should all be careful with our medications but if you have kid like that in your house, he's probably going to get his hands on them unless you keep them under lock and key and no one can do that.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 17,836
Registered: ‎06-17-2015

Re: Warning if you have kids/grandkids and Prescription drugs


@Carmie wrote:

@Laura14 wrote:

I knew I wasn't nuts.  It kind of surprised me that the three women I was with had never even thought to consider any liability on the part of the mom.  Not that I believe she would have ever thought her kid would do it but that's the point of the post.  Kids do stupid things without realizing the consequences.

 

As far as I know, no one is suing anyone and they are just letting the school handle it but I'll tell you, I'm not a parent, but if my kid almost died, I'd be on the front doorstep of the family who made that drug easily accessible and/or want five minutes with the kid who handed the drug over to my daughter.  


I would take a different approach.  Since the daughter is alive and well, as her parent, she would be punished by me.  I held my children to higher standards.  Whatever they did, they were accountable for their actions.

 

We don't do the blame game at my house.  No one made her injest meds that she was not supposed to.  She did that on her own. She choose to do it.  She is 100% at fault....period.  I would not approach the boy or his family.

 

If the boy was my son, the same for him, but he would have to apologize since he caused harm and could have killed someone.

 

I raised three children and we have never had never had a problem with drugs or alcohol from any of them.  As adults now , they sometimes mention that they were tempted to try when they were younger, but were afraid to because of the consequences they would face if they got caught.  They knew they would be in trouble big time and it was not worth taking a chance.

 

Plus, my kids are also somewhat germaphobes, especially my youngest one.  I told them over and over that the stuff on the street was filthy and they had no idea who handled it with dirty snotty hands and that the drugs could have been hidden in body cavities and contain fecal matter.  This grossed them out and it worked.

 

 


@Carmie  I agree.  Everyone is ready to blame the parent who was prescribed this drug; where were the parent(s) of the girl who took the pill? 

 

While teens are not always the brightest, an upbringing with constant discussions about the issues they face can very well prevent such things happening.

 

Locking up drugs, etc. is a given.

 

But so is taking the time to know your child's where, when, who with, etc. with stern guidelines and discussions about acceptable behavior.

 

 

"" Compassion is a verb."-Thich Nhat Hanh