Drug abuse among children

From an article in Family Circle, July 2008 titled "Hard Candy" page 46-48, drug abuse among children as young as thirteen was discussed. The article talked about these kids getting high off prescription pain killers such as Vicodin(hydrocodone) and Oxycontin(hydrocodone). These drugs are very similiar to herion and morphine. These drugs block pain signals in the brain and trigger the release of dopamine. These kids can become addictive to these drugs, causing the brain to build up a tolerance . This creates a craving which grows stronger with each use. Kids abusing drugs need more to get high. As the dose increases, the risks increases. In Chapter 4, the effects of drugs were discussed. Vicodin and Oxycontin are in the family of Opiates. These drugs stimulate the receptors normally stimulated by the body's own painkillers called endorphins. The brain can be tricked into activating its own painkillers causing a mood-altering effect. These drugs, when abused, cause physical changes in the neurons in the brain, making them addictive.