The Calhoun County Medicine Abuse Prevention Task Force was formed in 2005, as the county became aware of the increasing abuse of prescription medication. Now, the task force is urging parents, teachers and community leaders to educate themselves on the dangers of prescription drug use and the warning signs.

"Signs of a medicine abuse problem may include: hiding pills, obsessively counting them, doctor shopping, or frequent visits to emergency rooms, having meds filled at more than one pharmacy, taking a greater amount of drug or taking it more frequently than prescribed."

The greatest danger in prescription drug use is that many people, especially teenagers, think that prescribed medicine is safer than illegal drugs. Pain killers are currently the most common among misused prescription drugs.

Labels: abuse, medications, prescription_drugs