A growing epidemic in America today is the abuse of prescription painkillers. Almost half of all Americans know someone who has been or is addicted to prescription painkillers. Although both are members of the opioid family, more people die from overdosing on prescription painkillers than from heroin. Opioids, such as oxycodone, hydrocodone and methadone, are being overprescribed for the treatment of pain and the abuse of these drugs is increasing. People who take these types of painkillers for too long or in too large doses are at a higher risk of addiction and more likely to drug from an overdose. How can we move towards reversing nearly two decades of rising painkiller abuse? New federal guidelines have been recommended by the U.S.
