“If you want to create an addict, abuse them as a child.”
That quote will always stick in my mind. I was at a professional conference for drug addiction education when the presenter made the correlation between addiction and child abuse. It has now come to light that there is a growing trend among parents’ to use drugs to quiet or calm down their children. To me, this is child abuse at its worst.
Exactly what lessons are parents teaching their children about drugs? What damage are they doing to their developing brain and biological systems? I get sad, terrified and angry just thinking about it. Here is an excerpt from a recent study and press release:
“Child abuse is a serious problem that affects nearly one million children a year in the United States alone. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the US Department of Health and Human Services classify child abuse into four categories including neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and emotional abuse. None of these categories, however, clearly includes the abusive use of drugs on children. A study soon to be published in the Journal of Pediatrics investigates the malicious use of pharmaceuticals and attempts to shed light on this under-recognized problem.
Dr. Shan Yin from the University of Colorado and the Rocky Mountain Poison Drug Center at Denver Health reviewed cases of pharmaceutical abuse reported to the National Poison Data System between 2000 and 2008. Dr. Yin included reports of the malicious use of alcohol, painkillers, cough and cold medicines, sedatives and sleeping pills, and antipsychotic medicines.
Of the more than 1400 cases studied, nearly 14% resulted in moderate to major consequences, including death. Nearly one-half of the abused children were exposed to at least one sedative. An average of 160 cases, including two deaths, was reported each year. Motives and legal findings were unavailable for these particular cases; however, motives for the abusive use of drugs generally are varied, and can include punishment, amusement, or a wish for a break from childcare responsibilities.”
It is my belief that as a society, we are becoming more and more accepting of medicating discomfort and normal behavior rather than illness and disease. Even in popular TV shows the old phrase “go chill out” has become “go take a Xanax”. The trend is creating more and more people struggling with addiction.
