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Over the past few years OxyContin® has risen out of relative obscurity to become one of the most abused drugs in the country.

With its powerful painkilling properties and close similarity to morphine, the mounting reports of OxyContin® (timed release oxycodone hydrochloride) abuse and dependency has caused both healthcare professionals and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to reconsider how the drug is packaged and marketed.

Originally developed and prescribed to treat moderate to severe pain for patients who may require long-term pain management using opiate-based drugs, the DEA says that no prescription drug in the last 20 years has been so widely abused after its introduction into the marketplace, and it is only a matter of time before every community in the country is confronted with the problem of OxyContin® abuse and / or addiction.

It should be noted that not everyone who is dependent on OxyContin® is necessarily considered an "addict" in the traditional sense. There are people who are legitamately prescribed OxyContin® as an integral part of a pain management program resulting from injuries or other physical conditions.

MORE ABOUT OXYCONTIN®

Street terms for OxyContin®: Hillbilly heroin, Oxy, Oxycotton

What are the methods of usage?

  • Chewing the tablets
  • Snorting crushed tablets
  • Dissolving tablets in water and injecting
  • These methods cause a faster, highly dangerous release of medication.

Who uses OxyContin®?

  • Abuse of OxyContin® in rural Maine, Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia brought national attention to this problem.
  • The areas most currently affected by OxyContin® abuse are eastern Kentucky; New Orleans, Louisiana; southern Maine; Philadelphia and southwestern Pennsylvania; southwestern Virginia; Cincinnati, Ohio; and Phoenix, Arizona.
  • An increase in illegal use has been especially apparent on the East Coast.
  • 9% or 19.9 million Americans have used pain relievers illegally in their lifetime.

How does OxyContin® get to the United States?

  • Because it is a legal drug, OxyContin® is supplied across the country for legitimate medical purposes.
  • Word of mouth has allowed users to devise illicit usage techniques.
  • Pharmacy robberies, health care fraud, and international trafficking constitute illicit distribution ability.

How much does OxyContin® cost?

  • When legally sold, a 10-mg tablet of OxyContin® will cost $1.25 and an 80-mg tablet will cost $6.
  • When illegally sold, a 10-mg tablet of OxyContin® can cost between $5 and $10. An 80-mg tablet can cost between $65 and $80.

What are some consequences of illicit OxyContin® use?

  • Long-term usage can lead to physical dependence.
  • A large dosage can cause severe respiratory depression that can lead to death.
  • Withdrawal symptoms include restlessness, muscle and bone pain, insomnia, diarrhea, vomiting, cold flashes with goose bumps, and involuntary leg movements.

Information compiled from Drug Enforcement Administration.

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