Keep prescription drugs out of reach

My name is Shailly Brahmakshatriya, and I’m a senior at James B. Conant High School. I am responding to the Daily Herald editorial, “Be vigilant in storing, guarding prescription drugs” on Nov. 5.

I agree on your stance about prescription drugs being harmful when they’re not being used for their intended need and how they should be stored in places where kids can’t come upon them.

Prescription drugs can be even more dangerous than illegal drugs when they’re used for unintended needs and when used by the wrong hands. Like illegal drugs, prescription drugs are depressants and stimulants. Depressants depress the central nervous system and reduce pain relieving stress, anxiety, and fear, putting the person at ease, while stimulants elevate the mood, producing feelings of excitement, feeling good, and euphoria.

Both depressants and stimulants can lead to short-term and long-term difficulties. Like any other drug, prescription drugs can also cause physical, psychological and behavioral changes. But what makes prescription drugs more dangerous than illegal drugs is that prescription drugs are more widely available and more widely prescribed, making it easier for them to be abused.

Since prescription drugs are more widely available and prescribed, they’re stored in homes where kids can easily find them. More than 70 percent of people 12 and older who abuse prescription drugs say they get them from a friend or relative. This is why they need to be stored where they can only be obtained for the person they’re prescribed for.

Instead of having a medicine cabinet where the whole family can access, there should be a secret cabinet where only parents can access the medicine for use. This way they won’t be exposed to the wrong hands and won’t cause any issues such as abuse.

Shailly Brahmakshatriya

Schaumburg