How do people get hooked on harder drugs like heroin and pills?

Common opioids include prescription painkillers such as dilaudid, oxycodone, hydrocodone and fentanyl, as well the illicit drug heroin. Opiate ... Opiates are usually swallowed as pills to treat pain. ... Many people who are in the grips of opiate addiction (opioid addiction) become addicted unintentionally. read more

Since there's not exactly an FDA for hard drugs, heroin purity is less closely monitored than, say, orange juice pulp levels. One person can have dope that is 80 percent pure, while his roommate can be getting high on stuff closer 10 percent, and there's virtually no way of visually distinguishing between the two. read more

One of the most frequent reasons people go to the doctor is for pain relief. There are a number of different drugs that can ease pain. About 20% of people will get a medication called an opioid. read more