Lawmakers may cut funding for prescription drug database program

Many states in the U.S. are exploring the use of prescription drug databases to help curb the use of the substance among troubled teens and young adults. These programs are designed to cut down the amount of "doctor shopping" - individuals who switch physicians frequently in order to receive medication - and limit the amount of drugs in the state.

However, the Colorado state prescription drug database that tracks narcotics that patients have been prescribed to determine whether they have received a surplus may be cancelled, the Denver Post reports.

Healthcare experts told the news source that the number of people who died from prescription drug abuse increased 95 percent during the past 10 years.

"If [the prescription drug monitoring program] goes away, there is no mechanism to track the movement of prescription drugs across Colorado," Chris Lines, a spokesman for the Department of Regulatory Agencies, told the news source. "It means there will be no reporting requirements for doctors or pharmacies."

Boarding schools may help troubled teens who engage in risky behavior such as prescription drug abuse. These learning institutions can provide individual therapy to assist them in overcoming addiction and withdrawal.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, nearly 10 percent of students in 12th grade abuse the prescription painkiller Vicodin in 2008.