Opioid Exposure: Keeping Your Kids Safe

News headlines about opioid exposure in children and teens are becoming increasingly common — and increasingly concerning. While opioids are essential for managing pain in certain medical situations, their potential for misuse and accidental ingestion poses serious risks, especially for younger populations. Whether through improper storage, unintentional access or experimentation, opioid exposure can have life-altering, even fatal, consequences.

Understanding these dangers, recognizing the signs of misuse and taking proactive steps to ensure safety are critical for parents, caregivers and communities alike. Here, Dr. Rudy Kink, Medical Director of Pedi-Flite and Pediatric Emergency Medicine Specialist at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, offers important information for parents and caregivers.

Mitigating Risks of Medication Use

In pediatric pain management, opioids can be prescribed for severe injuries like fractures and burns, but only for a short duration — usually a day or two.

The primary long-term risk of opioid exposure in children is addiction, as their developing brains may be more susceptible than adults' brains. To mitigate this risk, health care providers educate parents on limited opioid use and emphasize alternative pain relief methods such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen after the initial acute phase.

A key point of consideration in keeping children safe from unintentional opioid exposure is access to medications that parents and caregivers might be taking.

“Safety starts at home,” states Dr. Kink. “If parents are using opioids not as they're originally prescribed or hanging on to them after they've already been through an initial event, that allows the pediatric patient access to the medications.”

Prevention involves eliminating the medications if at all possible. But, if the parent has a medical problem that requires opioids, securing them in a safe or in a lockbox is a good strategy. It’s very helpful to educate children about the dangers of medications, especially preteens and teens who are very impressionable and who might be subject to pressure from their peers.

What Should Parents Watch For?

A sobering reality is that it is possible for children to get wrapped up in medication abuse. Dr. Kink outlines warning signs that might indicate a problem.

“Be involved in your child's life,” he urges. “One of the early signs you may start to notice is a change in their behavior. They start to avoid things they used to have fun doing, playing basketball, going out with friends. They may become more withdrawn. There could be a decrease in their school performance, and teachers might be inquiring why the child is missing class or sleeping through classes or acting out.”

Practical Advice and Key Resources

If a child ingests an opioid and shows signs of confusion or distress, the first step is to call 911 immediately. If they appear fine but ingestion is still a concern, contacting Poison Control connects caregivers with a poison specialist for guidance. For suspected opioid misuse or abuse, parents should

reach out to a pediatrician, primary care physician or school counselor to explore available support and resources.

The good news is that efforts to combat opioid misuse occur at multiple levels. National legislation aims to limit opioid prescriptions and monitor pharmacies to prevent excessive dispensing. At the community level, schools, hospitals and organizations provide education for families about opioid risks and alternatives. Groups like Mothers Against Addiction offer resources on addiction prevention and pain management alternatives, including over-the-counter medications, physical therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy as non-opioid options for pain relief.

Hope Is Not Lost: Leaning into Compassion and Understanding

Dr. Kink reinforces the fact that if a child does succumb to medication abuse that it’s not a lost cause—nor is it the child’s fault.

“Addiction is a disease, not a personal choice. People do not wake up and want to be addicted to medications, whether they're an adult or child,” he shares. “I think the best analogy I've ever heard was from an addiction medicine specialist who said we generally can hold our breath for fifteen, twenty, thirty seconds. Then, that desire to breathe overtakes our body and we just have to breathe. That's how people who are addicted to medications feel. They may withhold from taking the medicine for a day, but their body will crave it. Ultimately, they may cave in. That's why having programs out there to address these addictions is so important.”