Adolescents at risk: pain pills to heroin: part I.

Prescription pain medication has proliferated in the United States in the past 10 years, and opioid agents are the second most commonly abused substance in the United States. The opioid class comprises various prescription medications, including hydrocodone, as well as illicit substances, such as opium and heroin. The current article offers an example of one adolescent's history that began as weekend use of prescription opioid agents but expanded to daily use and physical dependence. Currently, a trend exists in which adolescents and young adults are moving from prescription opioid medication to heroin use due to increasing restrictions on prescription opioid agents. Nursing implications and web-based resources for teaching are also presented.