In the wake of the teen death and numerous overdoses in Odessa last week, it feels more pressing than ever to encourage teens and parents to talk about the risks associated with prescription and over the counter drugs.  Many parents have already talked to their kids about drugs and the risks of addiction and overdose, but the thing that concerns me the most is the faulty perceptions that many have about the risks involved with substances that are prescribed or over the counter.

There is still the echo of the “Just Say No” campaign and the “This is your Brain....This is your brain on drugs” commercials that were popular in the 1980’s that run through my mind when I think about the education of the past. Drugs were pretty basic at that time.  It was pretty easy to determine if something was in the “just say no” category.  However, with the recent legalization of marijuana in many states, I hear many people, young and old, normalizing the use of marijuana and the perceived safety of doing so.  When something becomes legal, the perception may be that it is safe.  The danger that lurks in normalizing is that not all drugs are created equal and perceptions are often inaccurate.  This happens with prescription drugs as well.  The faulty logic is that these prescriptions are approved and used for treating medical conditions, so the risk involved in taking them is low or nonexistent.