>> his addiction took a more destructive turn. >> and i run into a cousin of mine who introduced me to a powerful -- more powerful pain pill called lorcet. i will never forget what he told me when i left his house tha ght, he said hey alan, welcome to the dark side. >> before long he went back to his cousin. >> i'm asking my cousin where do you get these things? >> and he said well you've got to go to these pill mill doctors. >> pill mills are places where licensed physicians sell prescription drugs under the table for profit. >> it's what he call them here in houston, pill mills, as a matter of fact they were so prevalent that after a combination of three drugs, it was dubbed the houston cocktail. >> medical director at a recovery center in houston texas alan was one of his patients. he says while prescription pill abuse persists heroin use is on the rise due to its relative affordability. >> it got easier to acquire here