Parents urged to lock medicines as teen self-harm rises

Parents in Sweden are being urged to lock away every medicine at home after self-harm involving medicines among teenagers rose by almost 32 percent over five years.

Giftinformationscentralen, which is part of Läkemedelsverket, has asked schools nationwide to show a short safety film at autumn parent meetings. The campaign aims to make medicines harder to reach during an impulsive crisis.

The agency says a survey found only one in ten parents of teenagers kept household medicines inaccessible to them. Half did not know that non-prescription medicines can be used in self-harm.

Its guidance covers prescription drugs and common painkillers. Parents should use a locked cabinet, avoid keeping large quantities at home, let an adult control a teenager's medicine, and return unused supplies to a pharmacy.

Adults should seek care immediately if a child shows signs of self-harm or expresses hopelessness or depression. If an overdose is suspected, call 112 and ask for Giftinformation without waiting for symptoms.

The film is part of the Tonårssäkra campaign under a government assignment on safer medicine use and suicide prevention. Giftinformationscentralen says its round-the-clock service receives more than 110,000 calls each year.

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