Every time you get a sore throat, tummy ache or even a cough, mom or dad might give you a dose of medicine to help you feel better. If you haven’t tasted the icky grape cough syrup before, you’re lucky, but if you have, you know it makes you feel like a million bucks. Mom and dad take medicine as well. They might even take it more often than you do. You might have seen them take a pill for a headache or take out the same container of different color tablets every morning with their coffee. In all of these instances, medicine is great, but it’s also used for specific reasons.

Medicine, although made to help people feel better, can be super dangerous if it’s taken by the wrong person for the wrong reasons. Do you know anyone that has allergies? Maybe they can’t eat peanut butter. For those of us who can eat peanut butter we know that it’s a sweet and creamy snack that hits the spot every time. For the people who are allergic however, a spoon full of peanut butter can be deadly. This is similar to how medicine works. Doctors have to tell us that medicine is safe for us to take because our bodies react to different pills and liquids in many different ways. This is why it’s important to never take medicine that is not given to you by your parents or does not have your name written on it. What’s safe for your friend or your parents could be very dangerous for you.

If you ever find something that looks like it could be medicine, it’s really important to tell an adult. Trusted adults will get rid of the medicine so that nobody can accidentally get hurt. If anyone ever offers you medicine that you know is not yours, just say no and wait for your parents or nurse to help you feel better!