New, 2:29 p.m.

The U.S. Attorneys Office in Dallas says it has joined a nationwide effort to stop the abuse of prescription medication.

The campaign from Partnership at Drugfree.org is called the Medicine Abuse Project.

The Northern District of Texas will hold several events as part of the campaign. The primary focus will be to help save lives by warning the public, and teenagers in particular, about the dangers of abusing prescription and over-the-counter medicines.

Prescription drug abuse is an epidemic, especially among our teens, said U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaa.

Also taking part will be the Council on Alcohol & Drug Abuse, the Dallas Area Drug Prevention Partnership, local police departments, and federal agencies such as the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Saldaa said last weekends prescription drug Take-Back initiative was a big success and set records locally for the disposal of expired and unwanted medications.

DEA Special Agent in Charge James L. Capra, of the Dallas division, said the agency collected 14,468 pounds of drugs from 70 collection sites in the region.

Prescription drug abuse has become a serious public health and safety issue and it is the nations fastest-growing drug problem, Capra said.

The U.S. Attorneys Office said 2,500 teens use a prescription drug every day to get high for the first time. The number of deaths from prescription painkillers has tripled over the past decade.

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Dallas federal prosecutors join Medicine Abuse Project campaign to curb abuse of legal drugs