What risks do online drug stores and the Internet pose to kids?
Legal online drug stores pose a huge risk to all of us. It used to be that one needed to visit a medical doctor who would evaluate our emotional and physical condition before prescribing any pills. It’s now possible to get painkillers online if one has a credit card. In theory there is a medical doctor reviewing all requests for drugs within an online pharmacy. But without a face -to-face meeting, being diagnosed as ready for painkillers, over the Internet, seems like a bad idea. Young people are naturally curious, so wanting to test out “Aunt Tessa’s pills” seems natural. All adults need to be aware that having prescription drugs around is a temptation for teens–who might want to escape the day’s pressures—at least for a few hours—by using a family member’s prescription drugs or going online to buy some painkillers. A question a child might ask is, “What’s the harm in taking some pills if they make you feel calmer?” The answer is that the goal of life is to be able to cope with every
