Family Safety: Secure Storage of Prescription Drugs & Firearms

Experts agree that firearm storage works best when it combines three steps: unload it, lock it, and separate it from ammunition.

Unload: Remove all ammunition from the firearm, including any round that is chambered.

Lock: Store the unloaded firearm using a locking device, such as a trigger lock or cable lock, or in a locked container, like a safe or a lock box. Keys, combinations, and biometric locks all work, as long as a child cannot get to them. A lock alone will not stop someone from stealing the whole gun, so a secure location still matters.

Separate: Keep ammunition in a different locked location from the firearm itself. The American Academy of Pediatrics has found that removing guns from the home entirely is the single most reliable way to prevent child suicide, homicide, and unintentional injury. When a gun stays in the home, storing it unloaded and locked, with ammunition stored elsewhere, lowers that risk.

Options to consider include cable locks, trigger locks, lock boxes, gun safes, and console or vehicle safes. The best choice is whichever one you will actually use every time.

The same three-part approach works for medication.

Track it: Know how many pills are in each bottle so you would notice if any went missing.

Lock it: Store all medications, including your own, somewhere a child or teen cannot reach. A locked cabinet or lock box works well.

Clear it out: Get rid of medication you no longer need instead of leaving it in a cabinet. Many pharmacies and the Roanoke Police Department accept unused medication for safe disposal.

Never describe medicine as "candy" to get a child to take it. That can make it more tempting for them to go looking for it on their own.

It is always an adult's job to keep guns and medication out of a child's reach — not a child's job to know better. Studies have found that many children know exactly where a parent keeps a gun in the house, and that a real share of them have handled it without their parents' knowledge. You cannot control every home your child visits, so teach them what to do if they ever come across a gun: stop, do not touch it, and go tell an adult right away.

Owning a gun is a personal choice. How it is stored is a safety question, and it is okay to ask. Here are a few examples of ways to bring up:

• "Before we come over, I always like to check a couple of things: do you have a pool, and do you keep any firearms in the house? If so, no worries, I just want to know they're locked up."
• "Excited for the girls to hang out this weekend! Will an adult be home the whole time, and are there any guns in the house?"
• If you're a gun owner yourself, sharing your own habits can make the conversation easier for everyone: "Just so you know, we do keep a gun in the house for hunting season, but it's always unloaded, locked up, and the ammunition is stored separately. Happy to talk more if you ever have questions."