You may have been ecstatic to know that your son or daughter received an acceptance letter to the University of Texas here in Austin. You may have thrown a party and anticipated great things for your college student.

Once here, your student may have talked about the pressures of college life, but you figured that your child could handle it. Then, you get the phone call you never expected to receive — police arrested your child for drug possession. You probably never anticipated that your child would become involved with prescription drugs and may wonder how it happened. What many people don’t realize is that prescription drug abuse is a prevalent and pervasive problem on many college campuses across the country.

Some disturbing information about the problem

A big part of going off to college involves freedom. For many students, perhaps even including your child, it is the first time away from home, and the temptations and pressures of college life can be hard to resist. Below are some facts regarding the breadth and scope of the prescription drug abuse problem:

• Estimates indicate that approximately one-third of students will use and/or abuse prescription drugs while in college.
• Before reaching their senior year, someone will offer two out of every three students prescription drugs.
• The most commonly abused medications on college campuses include Vicodin and OxyContin.
• Many students obtain the drugs from a friend who has a prescription.
• Studies indicate that it is far too easy to obtain a prescription for commonly abused medications.
• Students often use the drugs to stay alert for all-night study sessions, improve concentration and productivity.
• The abuse of prescription drugs tends to peak around final exam time when the pressure to perform academically is at its height.
  Obviously, taking prescription drugs without understanding the potential risks and side effects is dangerous. Making matters worse is that students may also take prescription drugs with alcohol, which increases the danger to their health.

Some information about taking care of the problem

Not only will you need to address the criminal charges your child faces, but you may also need to address an addiction as well. Jail time is often not the best resolution to either problem, especially if this is the first time your child has come into contact with law enforcement and the criminal justice system.

With the right help, you may be able to address both problems at once. An experienced criminal defense attorney who routinely deals with the issues facing college students may help to achieve a resolution to the problem that keeps your child’s record clear and helps him or her with the addiction as well, so that your child can get life back on track.