As seen in the St. Paul Pioneer Press on May 27, 2011.

Updated on September 1, 2011.

Growing up in the western suburbs of Minneapolis, Collin, now 19, hung out with an older sister who smoked marijuana, went to school, held a job and appeared to function just fine. As it seemed like the thing fun-loving kids did, he first tried marijuana and alcohol when he was 11 years old. By eighth grade he was buying ADHD medications from kids with prescriptions. The stimulants were better than weed, meth or cocaine because they were legal, he thought. Yet they became his gateway to illicit drugs such as cocaine, heroin, and LSD, which he was using daily by the time he started a brief stint in college.

Ashton, 20, grew up in North Branch in a loving, supportive family. He was a stellar student and athlete until he found a new crowd in middle school. They smoked weed and drank on the weekends. Seeking acceptance, he became first a user, then a dealer, which gave him ready access to cocaine, meth, and ecstasy. After his father had back surgery, Ashton and his friends scavenged his supply of pain medication. Despite his fear of needles, he started shooting up, first with OxyContin and then with Dilaudid. He barely graduated from high school before being arrested on a felony charge.

Recently, Collin and Ashton’s paths crossed when they entered the Minnesota Teen Challenge recovery program in Minneapolis (http://www.mntc.org). They are the faces of a growing epidemic involving young people whose use of prescription medications yields devastating consequences. Studies show that pharmaceuticals comprise seven of the 10 most abused substances.

Through Teen Challenge both men have participated in “Know the Truth,” a secular program the organization started in 2006 with a Department of Justice grant. In a presentation that dovetails with health class drug and alcohol curricula, Teen Challenge representatives visit with more than 40,000 middle and high school students annually. Young adults like Collin and Ashton share their stories and talk about risks, hoping to deter those who haven’t indulged and encourage those who have to get help.

The increasing use of prescription drugs to manage pain, enhance quality of life and promote longevity has caused a misconception they are safer than street drugs, says Carol Falkowski, drug abuse strategy officer for the Minnesota Department of Human Services. When kids get them, the drugs are typically not in their original packaging so it’s impossible to know how potent they are or when they will expire. This is particularly problematic when youth have “pharma” parties in which random pills are co-mingled and then ingested.

The ready availability of pharmaceuticals creates an array of public health, safety and environmental concerns that co-exist with their intended benefits. As parents and grandparents use them to manage their health, they unwittingly become purveyors of drugs that, while legal in their hands, are illegal in the hands of others, says Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek. “You can’t say there’s not a correlation between mischievous behavior or criminal activity that will land you in jail and drugs, because there is,” Stanek said. Ashton agrees, noting he started a daily opiate addiction at age 17 and by 19 was a full-fledged heroin addict who would do anything to get it, including steal.

So what’s a parent to do? Adam Pederson, program manager for Know the Truth, advises parents to lock their medicine cabinets, noting, “For most parents it’s easy to think ‘That’s not my kid.’ And it may not be your kid but every student I know who did prescription pills raided their friends’ parents’ cabinets.” With graduation parties and real estate open houses under way, families will welcome a parade of guests into their homes, any one of whom could pilfer from the medicine cabinet.

While current prescriptions should be secured, expired, unwanted, or unused drugs should be eliminated. Yet, traditional means of disposing of medicines – flushing down the toilet or drain – pose environmental concerns to humans and wildlife. The Pollution Control Agency offers guidelines for disposing of drugs in the trash on its website, www.pca.state.mn.us.

Law enforcement agencies are grappling with how to devise efficient and affordable disposal programs compliant with laws and regulations governing the environment and handling of controlled substances. When Stanek initially addressed this concern he thought the solution would be straightforward. It wasn’t. Regulations on transportation and incineration of scheduled narcotics were so restrictive he concluded that periodic drug takebacks were the only viable stopgap measure for his county. He has testified before Congress about the need to change laws so pharmacies can take back the drugs, just as electronics retailers take back products for environmentally friendly disposal. At least one pharmacy is making an effort. Last fall Walgreens initiated a program in which consumers can buy prepaid envelopes to return non-controlled substances for disposal.

For those seeking an immediate solution, Hennepin County will conduct drug takeback events  on Saturday, September 24, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 7250 Hwy. 7  in St. Louis Park (next to Sam’s Club) and on Saturday, October 8, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at  3880 Shoreline Drive in Orono  (http://hennepin.us/medicine). Residents from any county can drive up and drop off vitamins and supplements, as well as prescription, over-the-counter and pet medications. The Washington County sheriff is planning a similar take back event later this year.

Dakota and Ramsey County sheriffs continue to explore options for more permanent means of disposal. The Ramsey County sheriff envisions a permanent dropoff of all substances at downtown or patrol locations during business hours, possibly as soon as this summer. Periodically, controlled substances would be transported out of state to be incinerated.

Regardless of the approach, one goal is universal among agencies: to prevent other young people from going down the same path as Collin and Ashton.