Deaths from prescription painkillers have quadrupled since 1999, killing more than 16,000 people in the United States in 2013.
Nearly 2 million Americans either abused or were dependent on opioids in 2013.
Many of those abusing these drugs are teenagers.
To help reduce that abuse among Georgia teens, state Attorney General Sam Olens has sponsored the “We’re Not Gonna Take It” video contest for the past two years. High school students in Georgia are challenged to produce a 30-second video encouraging their peers to live a healthy lifestyle by rejecting prescription drug abuse.
Olens recently announced the winners. The first-place video was produced by Duluth High School student Axel Gutierrez. The runner-up was produced by Johns Creek High School student Shreyas Jyotishi.
“The winning video sends a strong message that abusing prescription drugs is not a game and can turn deadly quickly.” Olens said.