Drug Information - Oxycontin Addiction

Oxycontin Addiction

Oxycontin The introduction of OxyContin in 1995 resulted in increasing patterns of abuse. Unlike Percocet, whose potential for abuse is limited by the presence of acetaminophen, OxyContin contains only oxycodone and inert filler. Abusers crush the tablets to defeat the time-release mechanism, then either ingest the resulting powder orally, intranasally, via intravenous/intramuscular/subcutis injection, or rectally to achieve rapid absorption into the bloodstream. The vast majority of OxyContin-related deaths are attributed to ingesting substantial quantities of OxyContin or ingesting OxyContin along with another depressant of the central nervous system such as alcohol or benzodiazepines. While high doses of oxycodone can be fatal to an opiate-naïve individual in and of itself, this is (comparatively) rarely the case. It was once felt that "combination" opioids (those that contain one or more additional, non-narcotic ingredients) would be less subject to abuse, since, for example, the amount of acetaminophen present in large overdoses of Percocet would cause stomach upset and liver damage. However, it has been demonstrated that abusers seeking the euphoric "high" are not deterred by these potential side effects or toxicities. Abusers soon discovered that extremely simple methods to separate the ingredients exist, particularly due to the widely disparate solubility of the alkaloids and analgesics in water ("cold water extraction"). Similar thinking also once motivated Canadian authorities to package oral methadone for use only in combination with Tang, an orange-flavored beverage powder, in hopes that it would only be taken correctly; however, it was still abused. Oxycodone has similar effects to morphine and heroin, and appeals to the same abuse community. Armed robberies of pharmacies where the robber demanded only OxyContin, not cash, have occurred. In some areas, particularly the eastern U.S., OxyContin has been the drug of greatest concern to enforcement authorities. Oxycodone abuse has been notably problematic in Appalachia; because of this, the drug has earned the nickname hillbilly heroin. Because oxycodone is highly regulated, when acquired illegally it is quite expensive. Street prices in Washington, DC, for example, have been reported to be anywhere from fifty cents to one dollar per milligram, making it anywhere from 30 to 60 times more costly than gold, gram for gram. Like other opioids, oxycodone can be fatal at high doses or when combined with depressants such as alcohol. Several documented fatalities from OxyContin abuse have been made public. 25)

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