A person usually begins taking a narcotic during the treatment of a legitimate medical problem that needs more than an aspirin to kill the pain. And if you have a chronic pain condition, the heavy duty pain killers that work (namely narcotics like Vicodin, OxyContin, Percocet, Demerol) become your sole source of life without pain. And since they’re prescribed by a doctor, covered by health insurance, effective for pain relief and available at the pharmacy – why not take them?