WHAS11 coverage

(WHAS11) - Parents listen up, the drugs of choice for a growing number of teens and pre-teens are changing and the source of those drugs will surprise you.   

It’s a new and growing problem and the latest statistics show there’s a good chance your daughter or son could be getting high, not with the help of a drug dealer but from your very own medicine cabinet.  

WHAS11’s Adrianna Hopkins recently sat down with two local teens who found easy access to prescription drugs.

Chris is a 16-year-old in rehab. “It was like nothing I’d ever felt before and I knew right then I’d be doing this for a while,” he says.

And 17-year-old Raven has had similar experiences. “I’ve done it all. But my drug of choice was oc’s - oxycontins. And I did that with my family - with my brother,” she says.

They’re both battling an addiction to prescription pills that started when they turned 13-years-old.

“It first started out with alcohol. Then it went to triple c’s. Which is an over the counter medicine - cough, cold and congestion. After triple c’s it started getting started getting worse,” says Raven.

Triple c’s, skittles, oc’s, trail mix - it’s lingo for prescription pills and a lifestyle of abuse more and more young people - ages 12 to 19 - are a part of.

Just how bad is the problem? According to the partnership for a drug free America nationwide, one in five teenagers say they abuse prescription pills to get high.

In Kentucky, one in ten teens say they pop pills to get high.

“I’ve been doing the program a long time and I’ve seen a real jump in the abuse of prescription drug and over the counter meds here in this area,” says Seven Counties Prevention Specialist Vicki Serrano.

The problem in Indiana is even worse. The Hoosier state is the 5^{th highest state for people 12 and older abusing prescription drugs.}

“It’s everywhere, it’s in the schools, it’s in the home, it’s everywhere,” says Dr. Elizabeth Garcia-Gray of Child Psychiatric Services for Seven Counties.

Part of the problem is a misconception that over the counter meds are safer than illegal drugs.

Another problem is that these drugs are easily accessible and there is no need for a dealer when most teens say they’re getting those pills from home.

“Open your medicine cabinet and look inside and there’s probably something somebody can use… especially combined with alcohol or some other kind of substance that they can use to get high,” says Van Ingram, KY Office of Drug Policy Control.

So that’s the problem, kids are taking medications from home.  It’s easy access, it’s free and for the most part they don’t think they’re breaking the law.