In fact, 12 per cent of students in America develop a life-long addiction to prescription opioids, the painkillers and narcotics such as Vicodin, Percocet and Oxycontin.



Their addiction often begins when they see the drugs in their parents bathroom cabinet, say researchers from the US Center for Drug Use and HIV Research. Teenagers may think the drugs are safe because they`re government approved.

The transition from prescription painkillers to heroin is most apparent among wealthy white students, the researchers say.