Painkiller abuse is a growing problem in Hawaii.

State narcotics agents investigated 409 controlled substance cases in 2007. That's up from 189 in 2006, a 116 percent increase.

Two painkiller addicts agreed to talk about the devastating effects of prescription abuse, if we hid their identities.

"My addiction started when I was diagnosed with breast cancer."

Like so many addicts, she started taking pills for legitimate pain. Within months, she was hooked.

"It was a high for me. Yeah, liked it, I could function on pain medication. I was taking 400 tablets a month."

She got most of the drugs from her family doctor. Vicodin, percacet. Whatever she asked for.

"He has a lot of patients. It's like he doesn't even like talk to you it's just write out the prescription."

Another physician supplied this 10 year addict with opiates. He calls him the '100 dollar doctor.'

"You pay him $100 and he gives you whatever you want. You know and all I had to say I hurt, I sore."

"He's well known.

At first he too, got a high from the painkillers. When that wasn't enough, he did what other victims sometime do:

turn to heroin and crack.

"My focus is getting the dope, it's not getting high anymore. It's just staying well to avoid getting sick."

Withdrawals is the fear of every addict. And the reason so many stay on the powerful drugs for years.

I asked him what effect it had on his family. "deterioration to the point where we are out of here if you don't get help."

"It just damages every aspect of your life, emotionally, physically mentally. Opiates is really, really bad.

Both are now in long term recovery. And they agree, one of the keys to preventing painkiller abuse is cracking down on the doctors who freely prescribe them.

"If should be real hard to get, the doctors really should get down on keeping track of patients on medication and really look into why they need them."

Lawmakers passed a bill this session that will make it harder for doctors to prescribe narcotics freely. It requires them to have a face-to-face meeting and proof they examined the patient before writing a prescription.

Click here to read the entire bill.