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The recent death of Philip Seymour Hoffman has once again shined a light on illegal drug abuse and its stark consequences. But the most widely abused drug in the United States is not heroin, cocaine or marijuana; it's the medication you have to have a prescription to get.


Since 2003, there have been more overdoses involving prescription opioids than heroin and cocaine combined, 

according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Researchers say the population of opiate users is changing, and they are finding a stronger link between the use of legal prescriptions and heroin.

On The Daily Circuit, we discuss the abuse of pharmaceutical drugs and the dilemma doctors face in writing painkiller prescriptions.

Crime, Law and Justice

Health

Since 2003, there have been more overdoses involving prescription opioids than heroin and cocaine combined.

Prescription painkillers can lead to deadly addictions, heroin use

Go Deeper.

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