Teen Medication Access Linked to Rising Self-Harm,Swedish Campaign urges Secure Storage
Örebro,Sweden - A new push from the “Teen Secure Your Home” campaign aims to increase awareness among teenage parents about the dangers of accessible medication,following a surge in reported mental health issues and self-harm attempts among young people. Data reveals a concerning lack of secure medication storage within homes with teenage children.
Recent statistics from the Swedish Poison Data Center show approximately 6,500 calls annually regarding young people harming themselves with drugs. A 2024 Novus survey, commissioned by the Swedish Medicines Agency, found that only half of teenage parents are aware that common prescription drugs, like paracetamol, can be used in self-harm attempts. Alarmingly,just one in ten teenage parents currently lock up household medications.
“Medicines can become a means of self-harm. Frequently enough, drug overdoses are impulse acts,” explains Johanna Nordmark Grass, chief physician at the poison Information Center. “By thinking about how to keep medication in the home, tragic events can hopefully be prevented.”
The campaign offers four key recommendations for teenage parents:
Store all medicines, including prescriptions, locked up, ideally in a medicine cabinet.
Avoid keeping excessive amounts of medication at home.
Dispose of unused and expired medications at pharmacies.
Take duty for medication security.
If you suspect a child has overdosed on medication, immediately call 112 for assistance. In cases of severe lethargy, unconsciousness, cramps, or difficulty breathing, request an ambulance.Intentional overdoses require immediate hospital attention.
Resources for Mental health support:
Healthcare Advisory: 1177
BRIS – Children’s rights in Society: 116 111
On-call Fellow Human: 08-2502 16 80
On-call Priest: via 112
Mind Suicide Line (chat & phone): mind.se or 90101
The national Association SPES Phone Journal: 020-18 00
Source: The Swedish Medicines Agency
