Hydrocodone, better known as Vicodin, Norco, and Percocet, is the most widely abused prescription drug. Vicodin is a narcotic painkiller in the same drug class as heroin: opiates. Highly addictive, highly damaging, and extremely hard to stop taking.
According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) more than 16 million people reported using a prescription painkiller for nonmedical purposes within the last year. In the same study, NIDA found that 8% of high school seniors had abused Vicodin, meaning the drug was used without a doctor’s prescription for any medical reason.