It's a battle that law enforcement fights every day that they call the war on drugs – a never-ending barrage of powders and substances gripping millions of people nationwide with addiction.

In a Target 9 investigation, NEWS9 learned more about new drug trends sweeping the nation in a special three-part series on prescription drug abuse.

Officials told NEWS9's Josh Eachus that prescription pills are taking lives with no exceptions. They won't quantify the problem or say if it's as big or bad as heroin, but said they are one in the same type of drug abuse.

Wayne Campbell, who lost his son to a heroin overdose, said his child was also addicted to pain pills.

Tyler Campbell was a star defender for the University of Akron football program before he lost his life at age 23.

"It's a college scholarship athlete that is living out his life-long dream, and because of injuries, he's given a couple of prescription pain pills, then he's given a couple more, then he has surgery, then they give him 60 more. Then, the addiction starts," Wayne Campbell said.

By Tyler's second season, months after an injury, his parent's notices his grades slipping. A doctor's evaluation would reveal a full-blown pain pill addiction. Once a leading tackler, the pill problem was one Tyler couldn't bring down.

Tyler died one day after leaving a rehab facility. He died of a heroin overdose, a drug that is now cheaper than many prescription pills. But it is in the same, highly addictive opiate family.

"It's a life-changer. You'll never get that back and I tell kids, you know what permanent marker is -- sometimes you get it on you and it takes about three days to wash off, this is it, you can never have another conversation," Wayne Campbell said.

He said he is now on a crusade, joining law enforcement in an effort to slow the problem and prevent it from taking more lives.

NEWS9’s Prescription Drug Abuse Complete 3-Part Series:

-Target 9 investigates prescription drug abuse epidemic (Part 1 of 3)

-Target 9 investigates prescription drug abuse epidemic (Part 2 of 3)

-Target 9 investigates prescription drug abuse epidemic (Part 3 of 3)