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www.FredericksburgParent.NET 21 DON'T BE AN ACCIDENTAL DEALER No ma er how old your children are, it's important to keep medica ons secured in a lockbox or similar device in your home, and to keep an inventory of medicine so that you can know if it starts going missing. Expired or unused drugs can be disposed of at a number of sites around our community. Scan the QR code to find a complete map. TOOLS FOR TALKING ABOUT SUBSTANCE ABUSE ● Talk. They hear you - www.samhsa.gov/talk-they-hear-you ● Parents Empowered - www.parentsempowered.org ● Opera on Preven on - www.opera onpreven on.com ● Get Smart About Drugs (DEA) - www.getsmartaboutdrugs.gov ● Just Think Twice - www.jus hinktwice.gov VAPING A growing body of evidence suggests that e-cigare es are a "gateway drug" that makes teens far more likely to try tradi onal cigare es than those who stay away from vaping. A 2018 study published in the journal Pediatrics found that kids who tried vaping were more than four mes more likely to pick up a regular cigare e. The CDC has stated that teen vaping is the main driver behind rising tobacco usage rates among U.S. middle and high school students. Nearly all e-cigare e products—including many of the flavored "vape juices" favored by teens—contain nico ne, a highly addic ve substance. The U.S. Surgeon General has warned that young brains, which are s ll growing and developing, are at greater risk for long- term impacts when exposed to nico ne. Visit www.livevapefreeva.org for resources for parents and teens to Live Vape Free. S A F E S T O R A G E A N D D I S P O S A L OVER-THE-COUNTER MEDICATION Cough medicines Cold medicines Motion sickness pills SAFELY DISPOSE OF MEDICATIONS WHAT ARE OTCS? Safely disposing of medications means not keeping old, expired, or unused medications in your home. It also means not flushing or throwing them out in the trash. Over the counter (OTC) drugs are medications available without a prescription at drugstores or supermarkets. 4.6% of 8th graders misused nonprescription cough medicine in the past year, acco rding to NIH. OTC drugs are typically safe if used at recommended doses, but they still pose a risk for developing an addiction. About 50,000 young children end up in emergency rooms each year because they got into medicines while an adult wasn't looking. SAFELY STORE AND USE MEDICATIONS Keep medications safe and away from others to whom it is not prescribed by using a medication lock box. Keep an inventory of your medica tions so you know exactly what you have on hand. Some commonly abused OTC medications include: Take an OTC medicine only when you need it and only for its intended purpose. If you or someone you know is at risk of an overdose, call 911. For more information, visit rappahannockareacsb.org BE VIGILANT In the "Hidden in Plain Sight" workshops that RACSB puts on in partnership with other area organiza ons, community experts guide par cipants through a virtual tour of a teen bedroom, stopping at items that may appear mundane, but are actually warning signs of a substance abuse problem. For example, teens can easily buy "stash devices" that look like ev- eryday items, such as a plas c water bo le. It's important for parents to pick up items in their children's rooms and inspect them. Stash de- vices will be no ceably heavier than the items they're made to mimic.