WARNING ABOUT PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS
Dear Parents,
In recent days, I have received reports about the dangers of
prescription drug use by teens and the risk that it poses to our students.
According to research conducted by the Partnership for
Drug-Free Kids, one in four teens say they have taken a prescription medicine –
that was not prescribed to them — at least once in their lifetime. Misusing prescription medication can lead to
overdose and death, or addiction.
Partnership for Drug-Free Kids recommends the following:
1. Educate yourself – Visit drugfree.org and MedicineAbuseProject.org for information, tools, resources and support.
2. Communicate the risks of prescription medicine abuse to your kids. Children who learn a lot about the risks of drugs at home are at least 20 percent less likely to use drugs than those who do not get that critical message from their parents.
3. Safeguard your medicine. Keep prescription medicine in a secure place, count and monitor the number of pills you have and lock them up — and ask your friends and family members to do the same.
4. Get help. If you think your child has a problem with prescription medicine abuse, please visit drugfree.org/get-help or call our Parents Helpline to speak to a parent specialist at 1-855-DRUGFREE (1-855-378-4373).
I have directed RISD
administration to be vigilant in their efforts to prevent prescription drug
misuse, and we are increasing our education and communication with students and
staff about the dangers of these drugs. If you have any information about drug
misuse or abuse by our students, I ask you to inform Raymondville ISD Police
Department or your campus principal.
If you have any general
questions about your child’s prescriptions and the correct process for
administering, please call the district healthcare department at 956-689-8175.
Thank you,
Stetson Roane
Superintendent of Schools
