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
What does OxyContin look like?
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 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.
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