Teens Taking Opioids to Relax, Get High

"American teens are using prescription opioids -- such as Vicodin, OxyContin, Percocet, and codeine -- without a doctor's orders at an alarmingly high rate. And they are more likely to use the drugs to relieve stress or get high rather than for pain relief."

"Those findings come from a new study, published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, that is based on questionnaires filled out by high school students in the spring of their senior year. A total of 12,441 students from more than 100 private and public high schools participated between 2002 and 2006."

"More than one in 10 high school seniors (12.3%) reported ever having taken prescription opioids for a nonmedical reason. That included 8% who reported having done so within the past year."