TALKING WITH 

YOUR CHILD 

ABOUT OPIOIDS:

Keeping	Your	Kids	Safe

TAKE ACTION

Use these tips to talk with your child:

•	 Plan	to	have	many	short	talks;

•	 Choose	informal	times	to	have	the	

conversations,	such	as	in	the	car	or	

during	dinner;

•	 Continue	talking	as	they	get	older;

•	 Clearly	state	what	you	expect	regarding	

drug	use;

•	 Create	family	rules	together,	such	as	

expectations	when	hanging	out	with	

friends;	and

•	 Let	them	know	you	are	always	there	for	

them.

Exit Plan

Talk	to	your	children	about	having	an	“exit	

plan”	if	they	are	offered	prescription	pain	

relievers	that	are	not	theirs.	Peer	pressure	

can	be	powerful	among	youths,	and	having	a	

plan	to	avoid	drug	misuse	can	help	children	

make	smart	choices.	Talk	with	your	children	

about	what	they	would	do	if	faced	with	a	

decision	about	drugs,	such	as	texting	a	code	

word	to	a	family	member.	Be	sure	to	practice	

the	exit	plan	in	a	safe	environment.	

Safe Storage and Disposal

It	is	important	to	properly	store	and	dispose	

of	medication.	For	more	information	about	

how	to	safely	store	or	dispose	of	your	

family’s	medicine,	read	Safe	Storage	of	

Prescription	Medications9 or	Disposal	of	

Unused	Medicines:	What	You	Should	Know.10

9 Safe Storage of Prescription Medications (https://bit.ly/2Hwwy2k)

10 Disposal of Unused Medicines: What You Should Know (https://bit.

ly/2luz8L1)

www.underagedrinking.samhsa.gov

SMA-18-5083
OPIOIDS CAN BE PRESCRIBED 

FOR PAIN

Opioids	are	a	group	of	drugs	that	includes	

prescription	pain	medications	and	illegal	drugs	

like	heroin.	The	most	common	pain	medications	

involved	in	prescription	opioid	overdoses	include	

drugs	such	as	oxycodone,	hydrocodone,	codeine,	

and	morphine.1

After	marijuana	and	alcohol,	prescription	drugs	

are	the	most	commonly	misused	substances	

by	Americans	age	14	and	older.2	Misuse	can	be	

described	as	taking	someone	else’s	medicine,	

taking	a	medicine	in	a	way	other	than	prescribed,	

taking	a	medicine	to	get	high,	and/or	mixing	

medicine	with	other	substances.

Start	talking	to	your	children	early	to	ensure	they	

understand	what	opioids	are	and	the	risks	of	

misusing	prescription	medication.	

PRESCRIPTION OPIOID MISUSE

Children	who	take	opioid	pain	medication	that	is	

not	prescribed	to	them—even	just	one	time—can	

suffer	serious	illness	or	death.	

Between	2004	and	2005,	about	71,000	children	

under	age	18	went	to	emergency	rooms	because	

they	took	medicines	while	their	parent	or	

1 National Institute on Drug Abuse. “Opioids.” NIDA.

2 NIDA for Teens. “Prescription Drugs.” (March 1, 2017). Retrieved from teens.

caregiver	wasn’t	looking.3

	Taking	prescription	pain	

medications	can	have	serious	consequences,	

including:4,5

•	 Allergic	reactions;

•	 Breathing	problems;

•	 Coma;	

•	 Permanent	brain	damage;	and/or	

•	 Death.

JUST BECAUSE IT WAS 

PRESCRIBED, DOESN’T MEAN IT 

CAN’T BE HARMFUL 

It	is	unsafe	and	illegal	to	take	someone	else’s	

prescription	medication,	even	if	the	drug	was	

prescribed	to	someone	your	child	knows.	Doctors	

prescribe	different	dosages	based	on	a	person’s	

size	and	age,	and	taking	the	wrong	strength	can	

be	deadly.	Studies	show	that	53	percent	of	people	

ages	12	or	older	obtained	prescription	pain	

medication	for	nonmedical	use	from	a	friend	or	

relative.6

		

Talk	to	your	children	about	the	dangers	of	taking	

prescription	pain	relievers	that	don’t	belong	to	

them.

3 Schillie, S. F., Shehab, N., Thomas, K. E., Budnitz, D. S. (2009). Medication 

overdoses leading to emergency department visits among children. Am J Prev 

Med, 37:181–187.

4 National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2016). Misuse of prescription drugs: Is it 

safe to use opioid drugs with other medications? 

5 National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2017). Drug facts: Prescription pain 

medications (Opioids). NIDA for Teens.

6 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2018). Key 

substance use and mental health indicators in the United States: Results from the 

2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (HHS Publication No. SMA 18-5068, 

NSDUH Series H-53). Rockville, MD: Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and 

Quality, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

ARE PRESCRIPTION PAIN 

MEDICATIONS ADDICTING?

Parents	should	also	talk	with	their	children	

about	how	addiction	is	a	disease	and	misusing	

medications	can	have	major,	life-threatening	

consequences.	

In	2017,	an	estimated	2.1	million	people	ages	12	

or	older	had	an	opioid	use	disorder.7	Prescription	

opioids—when	used	long	term	or	incorrectly—can	

cause	the	brain	to	become	reliant	on	the	drug,	and	

can	be	extremely	addictive.

In	some	cases,	your	doctor	may	prescribe	an	

opioid	to	your	child	for	things	like	surgery	or	

a	broken	bone.	Talk	to	your	doctor	and	your	

children	about	the	risks	of	prescription	pain	

relievers	prescribed	to	them.	

Research	suggests	that	one	of	the	most	

important	factors	when	a	child	is	growing	up	is	a	

strong,	open	relationship	with	a	parent.8

	Though	

it	may	not	seem	like	it,	children	really	hear	your	

concerns,	and	it’s	important	that	you	discuss	the	

risks	of	using	pain	medications	with	them.

7 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2018). Key 

substance use and mental health indicators in the United States: Results from the 

2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (HHS Publication No. SMA 18-5068, 

NSDUH Series H-53). Rockville, MD: Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and 

Quality, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. 

8

 National Scientific Council on the Developing Child. (2004). Young children 

develop in an environment of relationships. Working Paper No. 1.