Prescription Drug Abuse. There's nothing safe about abusing painkillers.

Some youths experiment with prescription drugs because they believe pills will help them lose weight, fit in, have fun, and study harder. Some even think it's safe.

That explains why prescription drugs is on the rise. It's the second most commonly abused category of drugs, behind marijuana and ahead of cocaine and heroin. A 2009 survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 20% of teens have taken a prescription drug without a doctor's prescription.

Some prescription pills are highly addictive and dangerous. Abuse of narcotic painkillers like OxyContin or Vicodin, sedatives and tranquilizers like Xanax or Valium, and stimulants like Dexedrine, Adderall or Ritalin is attributed to a large spike in drug overdose deaths in the past decade.

Palm Beach County Substance Awareness Coalition's Prescription Drugs Task Force is countering the abuse by:

Continuing parent/teacher/child education. Through organizations like NOPE Task Force and Hanley Center, youths and their parents are learning the dangerous consequences of abusing these powerful drugs.

Advocating for Prescription Drug Monitoring Program in Florida. PDMP, as it is know, is an electronic database that collects prescription drug medication information to encourage safer substance prescription use and reduce drug abuse and diversion.

Supporting passage of 911 Good Samaritan Law in Florida. The law would provide limited immunity from drug-possession charges when a drug-related overdose victim or a witness to an overdose seeks medical assistance.

Organize more pill "take back" days. These are programs to allow for safe, legal, and environmentally-friendly disposal of extra drugs that patients have not used.

Anyone interested in getting involved with the Prescription Drugs Task Force can call Palm Beach County Substance Awareness Coalition at 561-844-5952 or contact Executive Director Jeff Kadel at jeffkadel@pbcsac.org.