Prescription drug abuse has police cracking down.

Experts said many teens and young adults have easy access to prescription medication from their bathroom cabinet. In many instances, they TMre finding clever ways to hide pills.

“You see how there is a safe inside, and how [do] you know they can put their pills in there, and nobody is going to know, said Violeta Davila with the Behavioral Health Solutions of South Texas. Davile said teens hide pills in books and gum packets ” since gum is a similar size to a pill.

She said teens have “pharm parties,” otherwise known as pharmaceutical parties, where they take any pills they can get their hands on.

“They just put a lot of prescription pills in a bowl, and they just grab whatever they can,” said Davila.

Teenagers even use code names like “skittles,” another name for pills, since many of them are different colors like the candy.

From 2009 to 2013 they received 5,000 calls related to overdose and bad reactions from taking the pills, according to the South Texas Poison Control Network.

San Juan Police Sgt. Rolando Garcia said he TMs seen more young teens getting caught up in prescription abuse.

“Kids ranging in age as young as 12-years-old, 15 and 16, all the way up to their 20s,” said Garcia.

San Juan police are investigating a prescription fraud case.

Police arrested four people linked to the crime on Friday.

He said the group picked up medication from multiple pharmacies and sold them on the street.

It TMs a concern, since the pills could have been sold to anyone ” especially teens.

Davila said those who abuse the pills don TMt know the harm they can cause.

Some have had bad reaction that TMs ended in death or a seizure.

“You don TMt know how that will react with your body,” said Davila.

To stop prescription pill abuse, Davila said to always lock your medicine cabinet to make sure no one can get them.

If you have any expired or left over medication, you can drop off the pills at these locations:

– Edinburg Police Department on 1702 South Closner Boulevard- Mission Police Department on 1200 East 8th Street.