Q: Why are so many crimes reportedly associated with Oxycontin abuse?
A: Many reports of Oxycontin abuse have occurred in rural areas that have housed labor-intensive industries, such as logging or coal mining. These industries are often located in economically depressed areas, as well.
Therefore, people for whom the drug may have been legitimately prescribed may be tempted to sell their prescriptions for profit. Substance abuse treatment providers say that the addiction is so strong that people will go to great lengths to get the drug, including robbing pharmacies and writing false prescriptions.
Q: How does Oxycontin abuse differ from abuse of other pain prescriptions?
A: Abuse of prescription pain medications is not new. Two primary factors, however, set Oxycontin abuse apart from other prescription drug abuse. First, Oxycontin is a powerful drug that contains a much larger amount of the active ingredient, Oxycontin, than other prescription pain relievers. By crushing the tablet and either ingesting or snorting it, or by injecting diluted Oxycontin, people who abuse the opioid feel its powerful effects in a short time, rather than over a 12-hour span. Second, great profits can be made in the illegal sale of Oxycontin. A 40-mg pill costs approximately $4 by prescription, yet it may sell for $20 to $40 on the street, depending on the area of the country in which the drug is sold.
Oxycontin can be comparatively inexpensive if it is legitimately prescribed and if its cost is covered by insurance. However, the National Drug Intelligence Center reports that people who abuse Oxycontin may use heroin if their insurance will no longer pay for their Oxycontin prescription because heroin is less expensive than Oxycontin that is purchased illegally.
A: Many reports of Oxycontin abuse have occurred in rural areas that have housed labor-intensive industries, such as logging or coal mining. These industries are often located in economically depressed areas, as well.
Therefore, people for whom the drug may have been legitimately prescribed may be tempted to sell their prescriptions for profit. Substance abuse treatment providers say that the addiction is so strong that people will go to great lengths to get the drug, including robbing pharmacies and writing false prescriptions.
Q: How does Oxycontin abuse differ from abuse of other pain prescriptions?
A: Abuse of prescription pain medications is not new. Two primary factors, however, set Oxycontin abuse apart from other prescription drug abuse. First, Oxycontin is a powerful drug that contains a much larger amount of the active ingredient, Oxycontin, than other prescription pain relievers. By crushing the tablet and either ingesting or snorting it, or by injecting diluted Oxycontin, people who abuse the opioid feel its powerful effects in a short time, rather than over a 12-hour span. Second, great profits can be made in the illegal sale of Oxycontin. A 40-mg pill costs approximately $4 by prescription, yet it may sell for $20 to $40 on the street, depending on the area of the country in which the drug is sold.
Oxycontin can be comparatively inexpensive if it is legitimately prescribed and if its cost is covered by insurance. However, the National Drug Intelligence Center reports that people who abuse Oxycontin may use heroin if their insurance will no longer pay for their Oxycontin prescription because heroin is less expensive than Oxycontin that is purchased illegally.
