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Although teens across the country are suspect to fall under the influence of peer pressure into experimenting with drugs such as marijuana, many succumb to a more dangerous habit of abusing drugs commonly used for medicinal purposes.
The teens are usually first introduced to such drugs, not through colleagues but as prescriptions to combat the adverse painful aftereffects of major procedures. They mistakenly overdose at first under the false pretense that more is better when it comes to pain relief through prescription pills. Others overdose intentionally through the encouragement of peers or media. Ultimately, when their prescriptions run out, they find alternative sources. Several studies have described those who abused it as having indicated that it brings about a euphoric state and a general physical numbing feeling.
One such drug commonly prescribed in the United States is hydrocodone, a typical trademarked brand of which is called Vicodin. This health medicine is laced with acetaminophen to discourage substance abuse and to increase the pain-killing effects of the hydrocodone. This rarely has it’s intended effect of scaring teens from overdosing as those that intend to misuse their prescriptions do so regardless. Instead, some of the adverse effects of this deterrent have been long-term liver damage in first time abusers and even death.
Long time abusers, and first time abusers with internet access though can easily find ways of removing the acetaminophen and rendering that aspect of the drug harmless. The extraction process is called cold water extraction and through some fairly simple methods, they easily get access to the drug relevant to the actual abuse.
Although this drug is abused, it has an extensive history of medical use. Today it is prescribed for several mildly serious surgical operations at medical centers around the United States. It will be prescribed, generally with Ibuprofin, to teens that have their wisdom teeth extracted for example, or those that require small surgery following a minor injury.
Unlike some other drugs popular amongst teenagers such as marijuana, which is only psychologically addictive, hydrocodone is physically addictive and can lead to long-term dependency which is costly and unhealthy.
