In the 2000s, addiction to prescription painkillers exploded into one of America’s worst drug epidemics. The growing number of prescriptions for powerful opioid medications, most notoriously OxyContin, helped facilitate the development of severe dependency among millions. While these drugs are very effective at treating the symptoms of both severe and chronic pain, they are also extremely easy to abuse – and share with others. In 2014, more than 36 million Americans reported ever having used painkillers non-medically or recreationally. As these addictive medications moved from limited usage in hospitals to the medicine cabinets of everyday Americans, it’s become easier than ever for these painkillers to be diverted to the street.
