Prescription And OTC Drug Abuse On The Rise Among Teens: Ask The Trooper

State police is seeing a "very high" increase of teenages arrested for driving while impaired. The drug of choice: prescription and over-the-counter medications.

Louisiana State Police Troop I spokesperson Master Trooper Brooks David said these drugs are usually much easier for teens to obtain than alcohol.

"They can go in their parent's medicine cabinet or in their friend's medicine cabinet or around the block and get pain medicines...or whatever it might be," David said. "So we're seeing a big increase in high school seniors and juniors that are abusing prescribed medications."

David said teens think people can't tell when their impaired when they take these types of drugs, as opposed to alcohol which usually has a distinct smell.

"Law enforcement can tell for sure because it impairs you," David said.

In some situations, teens are throwing parties and consuming handfulls of these medications, putting a strain on emergency room doctors who can't begin to treat a victim unless they know exactly what they took. Teens often have no clue what they are ingesting in these situations.

David urged parents to sit down with their children and have a real conversation about the dangers and pitfalls of such drug abuse.

To listen to the full interview David, click on the 'Play' button below.