Drug abuse is one of the biggest problems facing the United States. It turns perfectly normal productive people into ones that are desperately looking for the next high. While the focus in many states is the fight in illicit drugs, prescription drug abuse has always been lurking in the shadows, one that is destined to become the widest abused drug in the country. Vicodin abuse, like many of these prescription drugs is one that remains to be one of the widest abused, and at some dangerous stakes. This drug was often thought to be one of the “white collar” addictions, and although it is still a problem in that sector, there is also the fact that many kids have gotten their hands on the drug, as well. This makes this drug especially unsettling.

One of the biggest problems with this drug would be the availability. It is not uncommon for the family to have some sort of Vicodin, or hydrocodone in the medicine cabinet. In 1998, a study was conducted to see how many people were using the drug for nonmedical reasons. The study concluded that there were more than 1.6 million people in the United States that used it illegally for the first time, and a large portion of these people became addicted to the drug. And since the study conducted in the 1980s, that number had more than doubled, as there were less than 500,000 people who said that they had misused the drug. This shows an upswing in Vicodin abuse, and with more kids getting their hands on it, it is a trend that shows it has no intention of slowing down.

Currently, there are an estimated 8%-12% of Americans that are suffering from the abuse of this type of drug. This is unfortunate, especially considering the fact that many of these people fall into the same category as people who abuse alcohol. Combining both of these is very dangerous, as people have seen to increase the risk of an emergency room visit. There simply needs to be better education when it comes to combating this monster, as there will be many more people who suffer because of the drug. With so many people abusing this drug across the country, especially when it comes to young adults, they may even feel as if they have little hope when it comes to battling this particular brand of substance abuse.

Luckily, for those who are experiencing Vicodin abuse, there are many different things that they can do. With more than 11,000 treatment centers in the United States, people have many solutions when it comes to becoming clean. This is especially worthwhile for one dealing with a hydrocodone addiction, as it is known to be associated with painful physical withdrawals. This means that it is not easy to quit “cold turkey,” and it is actually very dangerous to do so. For cases such as these, there will need to be a certified specialist with the ability to treat this addiction as best as they can.