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Experts discover link between prescription drugs and heroin
By Staff Writer
 Heroin has become a problem in many states across the country, including Ohio. However, the perception that kids become involved with heroin through the desire to start injecting drugs with needles may be flawed. New research suggests that prescription pills have become a gateway drug to more serious illicit substances, including heroin, according to the Marion Star. Robert Carlson, a professor at the Boonshoft School of Medicine at Wright State University, told the news source that the connection between prescription medications and opiate addiction is highly underrated. Oftentimes, individuals who are addicted to heroin turn to pills to maintain their high until they can get their hands on harder drugs. Prescription drugs provide a similar high to the type that results from heroin use, which is why many substance abusers utilize both. Ken Hale, assistant dean of the College of Pharmacy at Ohio State University, told the Star that the construction of chemicals in OxyContin and heroin are almost identical. This is a prime reason why kids who begin abusing prescription pills later turn to injection drugs. More than 29 percent of public high school students say they can easily obtain illicit substances, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Counseling and mentoring can prevent troubled teens from abusing drugs.
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