MADISON (WKOW) -- Even though it is still not clear if prescription drugs led to singer Whitney Houston's death, it does bring to mind the dangers of prescription drug abuse.
It is a growing problem even here in Wisconsin.
"I needed them to feel okay," Allen Nyberg said.
Nyberg, 24, is recovering from prescription drug abuse.
He says he first tried it recreationally when he was 15 years old.
It wasn't until he was 20 or 21 that he realized he was addicted.
"I got ill when I didn't have it, and I'd spend lots of money on it," Nyberg said.
He said he would take about $200-$300 worth of OxyContin a day, that's about 200-300 milligrams.
St. Mary's Hospital clinical pharmacist Amy van Abel says people might have a different perception when they are misusing drugs prescribed by a doctor.
"I think there is a level of comfort that people feel safer in taking those medications and may not realize the risks fully," she said.
A Centers for Disease Control report in December showed more Americans die from drug overdoses than car accidents, and prescription drugs cause those deaths more than heroin and cocaine combined.
"Everybody has a friend or family member taking prescription pain medication for something and they have easy access to a family member's medicine cabinet," van Abel said.
Here in Wisconsin, prescription drugs are only second to marijuana when it comes to the most common recreational drug.
Doctors say parents should try to keep track of how many pills are in a bottle and keep them in a safe place.
"Keep them in a more private area like a bedroom, so it's not like the restroom where everyone's coming in and out," van Abel said.
Now ten months clean, Nyberg wants others to know there is hope.
"There is a way out and your quality of life can improve 100-fold... You can live a better life," Nyberg said.
Experts say if you have any unwanted or unused medicine, don't keep it sitting in your home.
Dane County has four drop boxes you can take them to, and they'll be adding another eight locations by the start of March.
Click here for MedDrop locations.
