Part of the reason I never touched illegal drugs:  I was afraid of what my parents would do to me.  The other reason was because I was afraid of what the drugs would do to me.  I knew a couple people who had severe side effects of illegal drug use:  One could barely speak after an overdose, and the other saw shadows wherever he looked.  That was more than enough to keep me clean.

But today's report about teens abusing prescription drugs - the kind a doctor legally prescribes - was pretty surprising.  Aren't there safer ways people can have fun, or to escape from what's bothering them?  And the report, which featured a father who believed he lost his son due to prescription drug abuse, really drove home the point that just because a doctor prescribes certain drugs doesn't mean they're safe for other people to take.

In fact, many prescription drugs aren't safe to combine.  It wasn't too long ago that I had the sad assignment of reporting on Heath Ledger.  Did his death or Tuesday's report have an impact on you?

Carl Azuz, Anchor