Is Your Teen Getting High on Your Prescription?

CHICAGO, Sept. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Vikes, Dance Fever, French Fries. The names might not be familiar to you, but chances are good your kids have heard of them. These are the street names for prescription drugs, and more and more teens are using them to get high.

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Each year, nearly 2 million teens abuse prescription drugs. The new parent's Prescription and Over-the-Counter Drug Guide from BeSmartBeWell.com and The Partnership at Drugfree.org breaks down the most commonly abused prescription and over-the-counter drugs in a simple-to-understand and interactive web page. Learn drugs' "street" names, how kids are using them (inject, inhale, etc.), why they're dangerous and the warning signs of abuse.

Empowering parents

BeSmartBeWell.com in collaboration with The Partnership at Drugfree.org, is combatting prescription drug abuse by educating and empowering parents.

At BeSmartBeWell.com, Steve Pasierb, CEO of The Partnership at Drugfree.org, discusses drug use among young people, and gives parents advice on keeping their kids safe from drug use and drinking.  

"What we say to parents is to have an age-sensitive conversation, not a big drug talk," Pasierb says at BeSmartBeWell.com. "The net of the conversation is, 'I'm worried about this.' That's incredibly powerful, but it's not a lecture, it's not a threat."

Watch all of Pasierb's video interview.

Where can I learn more?

Produced by the country's largest customer-owned health insurer in collaboration with medical experts and national health organizations, BeSmartBeWell.com is a free, non-commercial public information resource.

BeSmartBeWell.com features:

• Life stories of real people struggling with prescription drug abuse
• Expert Q&A videos
• Reputable resources and links
• Health news
• Links to health tools
• In-depth articles

Consumers can also register for the monthly Spotlight Newsletter and News Alerts.

For information about other family-focused health topics -- including childhood obesity, childhood asthma, teen dating violence and others – and to see more life stories, visit BeSmartBeWell.com.

About Be Smart. Be Well.

BeSmartBeWell.com is sponsored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, Divisions of Health Care Service Corporation, a Mutual Legal Reserve Company, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

About The Partnership at Drugfree.org

The Partnership at Drugfree.org is a nonprofit organization that helps parents prevent, intervene in and find treatment for drug and alcohol use by their children.  Bringing together renowned scientists, parent experts and communications professionals, this public health nonprofit translates current research on teen behavior, parenting, addiction and treatment into easy to understand resources at drugfree.org.  The organization also reaches families through its community education programs which focus on local drug and alcohol issues of concern for parents, youth and the Hispanic community. The Partnership at Drugfree.org depends on donations from individuals, corporations, foundations and the public sector and is thankful to SAG/AFTRA and the advertising and media industries for their ongoing generosity.

SOURCE BeSmartBeWell.com