In honor of SAMHSA’s first annual National Prevention Week, Elements Behavioral Health is reminding parents to do their part in preventing teen prescription drug abuse.
Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) May 23, 2012 – The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration designated this week (May 20-26) National Prevention Week, with a specific awareness event set for each day of the week. On May 22, 2012, communities nationwide will promote the prevention of prescription drug abuse and illicit drug use. In honor of SAMHSA’s first annual National Prevention Week, Elements Behavioral Health is reminding parents to do their part by locking the cabinet.
LockTheCabinet.com is a campaign dedicated to raising awareness about the risks of prescription drug abuse and encouraging families to put locks on their medicine cabinets or store prescription and commonly abused over-the-counter medications in a lockbox. By safely disposing of unused prescription medications, parents remove the temptation for teens to experiment with prescription drugs.
“As a leader in the treatment of addictions and mental health issues, it is important for Elements to take part in this new national movement to raise awareness about prescription drug abuse and other behavioral health issues,” said Dr. David Sack, CEO of Elements Behavioral Health. “Recognizing that addiction commonly begins in the teen years, we do not want to make it easy by making highly addictive prescription drugs readily available in unlocked medicine cabinets.”
Parents who wish to send a clear message that prescription drug abuse will not be tolerated in their home are invited to take the “I’ve Locked the Cabinet” pledge. It reads, in part, “I will no longer be a source of drugs for my child or any other children. As of today, I have taken the necessary steps to tell my children, my grandchildren, their friends’ parents, and the world that I’m doing my part in protecting our teenagers from the dangers of prescription drug abuse.”
To take the pledge, visit LockTheCabinet.com. Concerned parents can also find information on the dangers of prescription drug abuse, how to properly dispose of medication and how to recognize the signs of addiction.
About Elements Behavioral Health
Elements Behavioral Health is a family of behavioral health care programs that includes Promises Treatment Centers, The Sexual Recovery Institute. The Recovery Place and The Ranch. Elements offers comprehensive, innovative treatment for substance abuse, sexual addiction, trauma, eating disorders and other mental health disorders. We are committed to delivering clinically sophisticated treatment that promotes permanent lifestyle change, not only for the patient but for the entire family system. For more information about Elements Behavioral Health, visit elementsbh4.wpengine.com.
