OxyContin Quick Facts
What is OxyContin®?
OxyContin®
is the brand name of a time-release formula of the
analgesic chemical oxycodone. OxyContin®, which is
produced by the pharmaceutical company Purdue Pharma,
is prescribed as a pain medication. Instances of abuse
of this Drug have increased in recent years.
Street terms for OxyContin®: Hillbilly Heroin, Oxy,
Oxycotton (1)
OxyContin® comes in tablet form.
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 abuses 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. (2)
* An
increase in illegal use has been especially apparent
on the East Coast. (3)
* 9% or
19.9 million Americans have used pain relievers
illegally in their lifetime. (4)
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. (5)
What are some consequences of illicit OxyContin® use?
*
Long-term usage can lead to physical dependence. (6)
* A
large dosage can cause severe respiratory depression
that can lead to death. (7)
*
Withdrawal symptoms include restlessness, muscle and
bone pain, insomnia, diarrhea, vomiting, cold flashes
with goose bumps, and involuntary leg movements. (8)
-
Office of National Drug Control Policy, Street
Terms: Drugs and the Drug Trade.
-
Drug Enforcement Administration, OxyContin ®;:
Pharmaceutical Diversion, March 2002.
-
DEA Congressional Testimony, December 11, 2001.
-
Office of National Drug Control Policy, OxyContin®
Fact Sheet.
-
United States Department of Justice, OxyContin®
Diversion and Abuse, January 2001.
-
National Institute on Drug Abuse, Prescription
Drugs: Abuse and Addiction, February 2002.
-
Ibid.
-
Ibid.
Data Source: Drug Enforcement Agency
Image Source: Drug Enforcement Agency
Toll Free:
888-800-8331
For more information, please contact:
Narconon®
Drug Prevention & Education
4442 York Blvd. Suite 18
Los Angeles, CA 90041
(888) 888-8331
(323) 257-8009
Fax (323) 257-8005
info@drug-prevention.org
|
 |
Help Us Prevent Drug
Abuse. Donate Now!
Frequency
Once
Monthly
Copyright © 2006
Narconon
Drug Education and
Prevention, Inc. All rights reserved.
NARCONON and the Narconon logo are
trademarks and service marks owned by
Association for Better
Living and Education International and are used
with its permission.
