6 things parents should know about opioids

In the past 20 years, illegal use of opioids has risen sharply. Many people have family members struggling with addiction or have lost loved ones to overdose. What do parents need to know to keep kids safe?  

1. The opioid crisis is real, and it’s not just affecting adults. 

• In 1999, 175 young people under age 20 died from opioid overdoses in the United States. By 2021, that number had risen to 1,657. Of those deaths, 94% involved fentanyl.¹ 
• Drug overdose/poisoning is now the 3rd leading cause of death of children and teens in the U.S. (after firearm injuries and car crashes). In 1999, it was the 9th.² 
• More than 300,000 children lost a parent to a drug overdose between 2011 and 2021. ³ 

We are seeing kids in the Emergency Department with opioid overdoses, and we’re also seeing kids who are addicted and experiencing serious withdrawal symptoms.  

2. When prescribed correctly, opioids are safe and effective. 

As more families are impacted by opioid addiction and overdoses, more parents are expressing concern when their child is prescribed an opioid. We are glad they are asking good questions! 

Opioids, including fentanyl, are medicines that control pain. For injuries like broken arms, we might prescribe an opioid to manage a child’s pain for a few days alongside other pain-relief techniques. Medically, opioids are a well-researched, proven, short-term tool to help manage pain and make healing less traumatic.  

When used appropriately, and at the right doses, opioids are very helpful drugs. But when opioids are misused, overused, misrepresented or taken without a prescription, they can be incredibly dangerous.  

3. Teach children to never take other people’s medications.  

For young children, begin with the basics: Doctors give us medicine to help us and keep us healthy. But taking someone else’s medicine can make us very sick. Whenever you talk about medicine, drive home the message: Only take medicine your doctor prescribed to you with an adult’s help. Never take other people’s medicine.  

4. Tell teenagers how dangerous illegal opioids are.  

It’s important for older children and teens to know that one pill can kill them. Even if a friend tells them what the pill is, they don’t actually know what it contains. If they get a pill laced with fentanyl, it could be deadly. That’s not being dramatic; we have unfortunately seen this too many times in the Emergency Department. They should not take any medication that isn’t prescribed to them by a doctor.  

5. Keep your prescriptions locked in safe storage.  

Most kids are getting opioids from someone they know, whether that’s taking a parent or grandparent’s prescription, misusing their own prescription or getting it from friends’ medicine cabinets.  

We recommend families lock medications in a medication box. (If your child is a Children’s Mercy patient, please ask us for one.) With controlled substances like opioids, it’s not enough to hide medications out of reach. Lock them up in a medication box or safe. Even if you trust your own children, it’s better to remove the temptation and block access for anyone else visiting your home.   

If you have unfinished prescriptions at home, dispose of them safely in a medication drop-off box or drug take-back event near you.  

6. Narcan is a safe, over-the-counter medication to reverse an opioid overdose.  

An opioid overdose can be reversed with a very safe, over-the-counter drug called naloxone (Narcan®). We frequently give it to children in the Emergency Department. It's available over the counter as a nasal spray that’s easy to give and has no impact on people without opioids in their system. Learn more about how to recognize an overdose and get and use naloxone. 

If you encounter someone who is experiencing signs and symptoms of an opioid overdose, call 9-1-1 and then administer naloxone. You could save their life — and won’t hurt them if they aren’t overdosing.  

With frequent conversations and safe storage practices, you can reduce your family’s risk of harm from opioid misuse. 

Learn more about safe medication storage. 

Learn more about how Naloxone (Narcan®) can reverse an opioid overdose. 

Find opioid addiction treatment resources in Missouri and Kansas.  

1. “Study: Fentanyl involved in 94% of pediatric opioid deaths in 2021,” by Melissa Jenco. AAP News, 8 May 2023. Accessed 8 July 2024. 

1. Goldstick JE, Cunningham RM, Carter PM. Current Causes of Death in Children and Adolescents in the United States. N Engl J Med. 2022;386(20):1955-1956. doi:10.1056/NEJMc2201761 

1. “More than 321,000 U.S. children lost a parent to drug overdose from 2011 to 2021,” National Institutes of Health, 8 May 2024. Accessed 8 July 2024.