According to a survey by the substance abuse and mental health services administration Arkansas has the worst teen prescription pain reliever abuse problem in the entire country. The state plans to bring these numbers down. Jennifer Bryan lost her son KJ in 2009 when he mixed drugs. One prescribed to him and another he somehow got from a family member.
"There was a synergistic affect between Prozac and methadone and it raised to toxic levels that it caused him to aspirate suffocate and take his life," Bryan said.
Prescription drug abuse among young people is a growing problem here. Statistics show they're becoming the drug of choice for sixth graders because they're found right in the home medicine cabinet.
“Just like you wouldn't leave a loaded gun out and about for children to get a hold of we shouldn't keep our prescription pills where they can get a hold of it," Bryan said.
The new statewide program monitor, secure and dispose hopes to get people to do just what the name suggests. A similar program operation medicine cabinet in Benton proved successful
"In an 8 hour period on february 6th we collected 52,000 doses of prescription drugs what were turned in," Chief Kirk Lane with Benton Police.
“I think we'll set an example to the rest of the country by saying we have an obligation to our children on every threat," Attorney General Dustin McDaniel said.
"My heart is still broken but my voice is still intact and I will do whatever I can to prevent another family mom another family from receiving a phone call like the one I got," Bryan said.
Monitor, secure and dispose
