I came across this article from a newspaper in Prescott, Arizona, that stood out to me. The piece included quotes from local officials on the issue of over-the-counter and prescription drug abuse. It included a really interesting interview with Judy Bandy Denton, director of emergency services at Yavapai Regional Medical Center that you should read.

This is not just a family problem. It is a community problem, she said.

“There are both risk factors and protective factors to consider. Risk factors include early aggressive behavior, lack of parental supervision, substance abuse, drug availability and poverty,” Denton said. “Protective factors are self-control, parental monitoring, academic competence, anti-drug use policies and strong neighborhood attachments.

“As neighbors, we all can do more,” Denton cautioned. “We don’t take that opportunity to know one another and help one another.”

She made a great point; cough medicine abuse is something that affects an entire community. That’s why you should spread the word about abuse to other parents. The more parents who know, the more we can prevent the habit from happening in our own neighborhoods.

Yesterday was another example of the history and tradition of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Every April, we recognize Patriots’ Day, a state holiday that commemorates battles of the Revolutionary War that took place in the Bay State. The celebration includes the running of the Boston Marathon, which has been run every year since 1896.

I’ve actually run a marathon in the past. It is a lot of hard work, and it is something that requires excellent health, rigorous training, and a commitment to the goal of 26.2 miles.

I don’t know if my daughter will ever consider running a marathon in her life. What I do know is she does have goals, all of them require that she stay healthy. When you talk with your kids about what they hope to accomplish, remind them how important it is they avoid risky habits, like cough medicine abuse. Not only is it dangerous to their health, it also can become an obstacle to the many goals in their lives.

Here’s an article from Health News Digest that you definitely should read. The article shares statistics about kids who use prescription and nonprescription drugs to get high. Even though this article focuses on prescription abuse, it does have a lot of great tips to help prevent the general behavior of medicine abuse, including cough medicine abuse.

There was one statistic in particular that I think every parent should see:

Studies show that parents could possibly cut the likelihood of their teens using drugs in half just by talking to their kids. However, only 31 percent of teens report that they “learn a lot about the risk of drugs” from their parents, according to another study.

If all of us commit to talking with our kids about the dangers of cough medicine abuse—and telling other parents to do the same—we can make a difference. If we raise that 31 percent of teens who learn about the risk of drugs, we will decrease the kids who are taking part in this dangerous habit.

Last week, I had the opportunity to be a part of a town hall on the dangers of cough medicine abuse in my own community in Hutchinson, Kansas. The turn out was great! We had all kinds of community leaders—educators, ER nurses, physicians, and pharmacists—who came out to our event last Tuesday to share their concerns and ideas on this dangerous behavior.

The highlight, for me, was the second half of the meeting. After a few of us had presented the information and resources we had, we opened up the floor for a discussion. I was really excited to see that almost everyone had something to say.

We ended the night with a common vision moving forward: We aren’t stopping here. It is our job to share everything we learned from each other with our kids and other parents.

Want to see more coverage of the town hall? Check out HutchNews. They have posted a video from the event that I encourage you to watch.

Last week, I took my young nephews and daughter to my hometown of Kansas City, MO, to visit my family during spring break. My mother, who we were staying with, has a really big bathroom, and the kids played in there a lot, pretending to have meetings and playing make-believe. They were also going through the dresser drawers for the types of things kids may want to explore.

The second day of my vacation, I noticed one of the drawers was open, and I was shocked to see bottles and packages of medicine! I couldn’t believe that after all my work with Five Moms that my own mother’s medicines—both prescription and over-the-counter—were not being safeguarded!

I called the children in to the bathroom and talked with them about how we use these medicines to make us feel better when we are sick and that only an adult should give it to them. I talked to them about the difference between drugs you get on the street and medicines we use for our health. Even though they are young, they were very attentive and even asked questions.

It is so important to have a dialogue with your children and the adults around you who care for your kids. Learning that cough medicine is being abused by teens is still shocking parents—and grandparents, like my mom—all over the country, so remember to keep spreading the word about abuse.

You hear from us all the time that you should talk with your kids about cough medicine abuse. It’s not easy for any parent to bring up an issue like drug abuse. Here are a few quick tips to help make those conversations go a little bit smoother:

• Start early: Take the opportunity to talk with your children first, before they hear it from their friends.
• Use everyday opportunities to talk: Don’t miss opportunities to talk with your child. Take advantage of the times when your child wants to talk.
• Build their self-esteem: Empower your child to become more confident and more likely to say no to substance abuse.
• Be a good example: Be consistent in your message and your actions.

You can find more tips at the Partnership for a Drug-Free America.

It’s really amazing to think about what we’ve done over the last year here at the Five Moms. We have over 72,000 parents actively involved in our campaign! In the next few weeks, we’ll be hitting another important milestone: our first anniversary.

I am definitely grateful that I have gotten to be a part of this important effort. We’ve reached so many people all across the country, and we could not have done that without you. Sure, we started out telling our own stories and sharing tips and news on this blog. But you are the power of this campaign. You’ve taken our mission to heart and told your friends how to prevent teen cough medicine abuse. And that’s the best way to make as many people aware as possible.

We’ve come far in our first year. I can’t wait for you to see what we have planned in year two…

It’s a new month, and that means that we have another outstanding parent to recognize as a Five Moms All-Star! Please join me in congratulating Amanda Smith of Anna, IL!

Amanda keeps busy in her small community in Southern Illinois. A full-time mother, student, and nurse, Amanda interacts with parents at out-patient clinics in her town and reminds parents about the importance of safeguarding their medicine cabinets. She offers parents resources and guides on how to carefully monitor and use cough medicine. Amanda’s efforts are helping parents in her community keep their kids safe from cough medicine abuse. Her dedication to educating parents to prevent this substance abuse behavior is the reason we have chosen her as our March All-Star!

We only have two more people to recognize with our All-Star search. If you have a story to share about how you’ve used what you’ve learned from the Five Moms to help fight cough medicine abuse, the time to let us know is now! Submit your story today and you could be our next winner. We’re sending each of our Five Moms All-Stars an iPod Touch as a special thank you.

Our April contest ends on April 25, so get your entry in now!

A recent edition of The Wichita Eagle included an article about cough medicine abuse. Living fairly close to Wichita as I do, the coverage of this issue in a local paper caught my eye.

The article had commentary from Tim Scanlan, a Wichita addiction specialist and an expert in the field of cough medicine abuse. He said one of the most important things in educating kids about any kind of drug abuse is to be honest. When the risks and effects are taken out of context or exaggerated, kids may stop listening or stop thinking there are real risks.

As Scanlan said:

“False stories damage the credibility of anti-drug messages…The best thing is to tell the truth.”

We’ve all procrastinated and waited until the last minute to do something. Think of all of the people you know who have put off doing taxes until this week, for example. And we’ve probably all realized that we could have made things easier had we just started sooner. Good planning early on can be crucial in making sure we get things done correctly, even though it may be difficult.

The same thing is true about talking with your kids about cough medicine abuse; don’t put off the opportunity to make a difference in their lives. Talk with them about the issue, and continue the conversation. Then, when the time comes for them to make a decision, they’ll be more likely to make the safe one and refuse to abuse cough medicine.