(NBC) – Teens who abuse prescription pills are more at risk of using heroin.
Researchers in southern California followed nearly 3,300 high school students beginning their freshmen year.
Those who used opioids to get high during the first couple of years of high school were more likely to start using heroin by the time they graduated.
That is compared to the teens who were not taking prescription pills but had later used heroin.
The scientists say while there was a link between the use of other substances and later heroin use, it was not as strong as it was with opioids.
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