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FRIDAY, Sept. 30 (HealthDay News) -- About 9 percent of U.S. teens (2.2 million) have abused common over-the-counter cough medicines containing dextromethorphan to get high, according to a 2004 study from the Partnership for A Drug-Free America.
Now, that organization, in cooperation with the industry group Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA), is offering two free brochures -- one in English and one in Spanish -- to help parents prevent teen cough medicine abuse.
The brochures provide parents with advice on how to identify and prevent teen abuse of cough medicines and also tell parents where to get more information about the issue.
"The OTC medicine industry takes very seriously the intentional abuse of any of its products," CHPA President Linda A. Suydam said in a prepared statement. "That's why we are working with the Partnership for a Drug-Free America to ensure the right audiences, particularly parents, are aware that some teens may be considering abusing OTC cough medicines containing dextromethorphan. Raising awareness to the problem is key to solving the problem and ensuring that these beneficial medications are not abused."
More information
The brochures will be available at the partnership Web site (www.drugfree.org ).
-- Robert Preidt
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