It's sad that it has taken the death of Michael Jackson to put a spotlight -- albeit a temporary one -- on the incredibly serious and deadly problem of prescription drug addiction in this country. Of course, this was just a blip in the story of Jackson's death. And it's a shame, too, because it would've been a more lasting legacy for the man than thousands of people learning to "moonwalk."

We already know that he was asking a home healthcare worker to administer operating room-caliber anesthetics, and that the DEA is now a part of the investigation into his death. Yet the 24/7 media coverage is not focused on how he died, but on the aftermath of his death -- who will take custody of his kids, who was bequeathed what in his will, which stars were going to sing at his memorial service.

I'm not surprised that the role of prescription drugs has been swept under the rug. One of America's dirtiest secrets is that LEGAL drugs are a bigger problem than traditional "street" drugs like crack and heroin.

In fact, prescription meds are the second most abused drugs in this country -- and number one is marijuana.

The DEA estimates that 7 million people are abusing prescription pills -- and more than 70 percent of this figure is thought to have a problem with painkillers like Vicodin and Oxycontin. The abuse of these drugs caused as many as 8,500 deaths in 2005 alone.

The last time we saw this much hullabaloo over a prescription drug death was the "accidental" overdose of Heath Ledger in 2007. Since Ledger was an up-and-coming actor, there was less of a circus around his death, but still the role of prescription drugs -- and the man's longstanding track record of abusing them -- was significantly downplayed.

A pharmacologist professor from Duke University commented on the overdose by saying, "This is not rock star wretched excess. This is a situation that could happen to plenty of people with prescriptions for these kinds of drugs."

I'm not alone in my concern. The strategy director of the Partnership for a Drug Free America laments that when it comes to pills "there is a relatively low perception of risk .. a cultural climate of 'a pill for any ill' mentality is contributing to this."

Who have you heard that from before?

It's important to remember that, as yet, there has been no official word that drug abuse played a role in Jackson's death. But it's tough to ignore all the evidence that's been stacking up and leaning heavily in this direction.

What it boils down to is this: If you're a parent or grandparent, don't let your kids get caught up in the hype. Use this moment to teach them a valuable, lasting lesson about the dangers of drug abuse -- prescription or otherwise.

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