JACKSON COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- Prescription drug abuse is a problem that just isn't going away.

About 20 percent of Americans have admitted to using prescription drugs for non-medical purposes, at some point in their lives.

Now the Anti-Drug Coalition in Jackson County, West Virginia is on a mission to stop the abuse and they are turning to the older generations for help.

Speaking to a group of senior citizens Thursday, Pharmacy Student Sarah Stotler has a few words of advice to help them avoid falling victim to prescription theft.

“You want to make sure your medicines are locked in a place or stored in a place where they are safe and secure and nobody else can get to them,” Stotler said.

Prescription abuse is very high among teens in Jackson County, and after today’s meeting Youdoris Faber of Ripley has a better idea of where teens are getting the drugs from.

“I've been wondering where these children get these pills, and I didn't know it was from their grandparents or their aunts or uncles or somebody like that,” Faber said.

Today they are getting advice to “lock them up” with hopes of keeping prescription medications out of teen’s hands.

“Anybody is very vulnerable if they need to be money to go in and take a drug out of your medicine cabinet and then go to school and make money and you don't even know your pill is missing,” Stotler said.

Studies show that teenagers abuse prescription drugs more than other illegal drugs because they see them as safer- but the anti-drug coalition hopes that the elders in their community can change that.

“If they speak we listen. They're wise and they've been here, they've done this they've experienced so much and they realize this is something they've never had to worry about when they're children we're growing up and they're just sick about it. I think they want to help,” said Rhonda Davis of the Coalition.

This simple meeting seems to have sunk in, “I'll be aware from this day forward on how I can pass the news along and help other people be aware of how serious this is,” said Saber.

The group also learned how to properly dispose of medications by mixing them in with cat litter or coffee grounds to keep people from wanting to take them.

The anti-drug coalition holds community forums and meets with teens to tackle the drug problem in their area.