Percocet is classified as a Schedule II drug by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, which means it a drug with “a high potential for abuse, with use potentially leading to severe psychological or physical dependence.” Alexander said it is difficult to obtain accurate statistics on the number of people misusing Percocet because it not uncom...

Some hereditary risk factors include personal or family history with addiction to either opioids or other substances, including alcohol, and co-occurring mental illness, while environmental risk factors include early childhood trauma, poverty and unemployment. “One of the biggest risk factors for addiction that’s often overlooked is simple access,”...

Not everyone who uses Percocet becomes addicted to the drug; however, anyone who takes it for an extended period of time will eventually develop dependence, a term that refers to specific physiological changes in the brain, Alexander said. Only a subset of dependent people will become addicted, for reasons scientists do not completely understand, h...