LITTLE ROCK — According to a recent study, the abuse of prescription drugs by adolescents in Arkansas who are between the ages of 12 to 17-years-old is higher than in any other state in the nation. However, Arkansas adolescents are not the only ones experiencing this problem. In fact, abuse of prescription drugs is a persistent problem, rarely discussed, that affects millions of adolescents.

A February 2007 study from the Office of National Drug Control reported that: "After marijuana, the most common illegal drugs among adolescents are prescription medicines." Teenagers are abusing these drugs because they believe the myth that these drugs are more safe.

"This false idea leads some teenagers to take prescription drugs from their home to share with schoolmates or take part in parties where the drugs are mixed with drinks or exchange the pills with others who want to take them.

Some things you can do to keep your teenager from abusing drugs are:

1. Monitor the number of pills that are in a package and don't lose sight of them. This applies to every member of the family's medicine.

2. Set clear rules for your teens on the use of any drugs, including not sharing drugs, and always follow the advice and dosages of the pharmacist.

3. Be a good role model in following the same rules for your own medicines. If you act badly with your medicine and share them with your children or abuse them, your children will notice.

4. Throw away old or unused medicine properly. Remember to remove any labels or personal information about the prescription of before throwing them away.

5. Ask your friends and relatives who to do the same. Make sure your friends and relatives,
especially grandparents, also know about the risks of prescription medicine abuse and encourage them to regularly review their own drawer of medicines. If you don't know the parents of your children' friends, make an effort to get to know them and agree on the rules and expectations about the use of drugs, including alcohol and illegal drugs.

The Attorney General of Arkansas, Dustin McDaniel encourages all parents to sit down and talk to their
teenage children about safe and unsafe ways of use prescription drugs.

To learn more about the abuse of prescription drugs for adolescents, including how to determine whether your teen is abusing prescription drugs, visit the following Internet sites:
• http://www.drugfree.org/
• http://www.theantidrug.com/
• http://www.kidshealth.org/
• http://www.teendrugabuse.us/

For additional information on other topics of consumer, contact the Department of Protection Public of the Attorney General's Office, Suite 200, at 323 Center Street, Little Rock, AR 72201. You can call the office at 682-2341 (Little Rock) or 1-800-482-8982 or online at: www.arkansasag.gov.