WHEELING, W.Va. -- The U.S. Attorney General's office is cracking down on illegal prescription drug sales.

A new program called Operation Pill Broker hopes to educate the public and reverse the trend of prescription drug abuse through intense drug investigations.

U.S. Attorney Sharon Potter said the northern district of West Virginia has seen an increase in the illegal sale of prescription drugs. Potter said more people are stealing prescription pills and using fake prescriptions to buy them.

Potter said a major concern is the pill problem could trickle down to local children.

She said many children don't realize that taking prescription drugs and mixing them with alcohol can have dire results.