Study finds that pain clinics are more plentiful than McDonald's restaurants

Officials from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) recently announced that the state has more pain clinics than McDonald's restaurants, ABC Action News reports.

According to the FDLE, there are 1,167 registered pain clinics in the state compared to 860 McDonald's. Officials told the news source that the number of pain clinics does not take into account the unregistered operations that illegally sell prescription pills.

Florida is among a few states that currently struggle heavily with prescription pain medication. Pain clinics called "pill mills" have cropped up across the state and fraudulently sell prescription pain pills to individuals. Unfortunately, troubled teens obtain these painkillers, which can start a life of addiction.

In 2010, oxycodone was the direct result of 715 deaths in Florida, according to the state medical examiner's most recent report.

Experts say that parent involvement may help in guiding troubled teens away from the pressure to use drugs such as prescription medication.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, an estimate 10 percent of high school seniors abused the painkiller Vicodin in 2008.