Although marijuana remains the most popular drug used today, prescription painkillers are found to be the cause of most overdoses. According to the first ever global survey of illicit drug use, prescription painkillers such as Vicodin, Oxycontin and Codeine kill the most people. The study also pointed out that men in their 20’s have the highest rate of substance abuse. Out of 78,000 drug overdoses in 2010, over half resulted from prescription painkillers. As for myself, prescription drugs took a heavy toll on my life. When I was 18 years old I tried Oxycontin for the first time, and I remember calling a friend to tell him about my experience. I remember having no shame or regret, because it was a prescription pill. I remember telling my friend how it couldn’t be that bad if it was ordered by a doctor. Prescriptions pills allow addicts like myself to rationalize our substance abuse. I was able to convince myself “It’s not that bad; Its not like I’m snorting heroin or meth”. The rationalization of the use of powerful pain pills can have deadly consequences, especially when you combine multiple varieties of prescription pills. I consider myself one of the lucky ones who was able to see how abusing prescription drugs was making my life unmanageable, and found the path to RECOVERY before these prescription pills took my life.