People who abuse the drug bypass the time release function by crushing and then snorting or injecting the powder giving them an instant high similar to that of heroin at a much cheaper price. Law enforcement officials say the price of the drug, which can go for as little as a dollar per milligram is another factor that draws many abusers to the drug (Spake 56). The cheap price also contributes to its rampant abuse in the poverty stricken rural areas of the eastern United States where it is most widely abused. Law enforcement officials say that the abuse of OxyContin has become a major problem in the eastern U.S. and has led to an increase in theft, pharmacy robberies, and overdose deaths (Yetter 1). .
Overdose deaths are common because too much of the drug acts like a heroin overdose, depressing breathing and eventually killing the user. OxyContin has been linked to at least 43 deaths in Virginia since 1997, as well as being blamed for a significant rise in crime where it is widely abused (Yetter 2). The severity of the abuse is evident in the number of deaths linked to OxyContin as well as the number of associated crimes. " I've never seen a drug on the market for so short a time abused to the degree that OxyContin has been." Says Charles Miller of The National Drug Intelligence Center (Spake 56). In 2000, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) received 291 coroner reports of OxyContin related deaths from the eastern United States alone (Spake 56). In the small coal mining towns of Eastern Kentucky alone, there have been 59 deaths attributed to OxyContin since January of 2000. Eastern Virginia, another region affected by the alarming rate of abuse has reported over 40 deaths since 1997. Hospital emergency room visits related to OxyContin have also been on the rise. Officials estimate that emergency room visits have nearly doubled since 1996 (Spake 56). .
If the deaths and near death incidents related to OxyContin were not enough Law Enforcement officials say that crime is a factor as well.
OxyContin: Savior or Killer? ... OxyContin A. ... Abuse of OxyContin C. Deaths from OxyContin abuse II. ... Steps OxyContin manufacturer is taking to stop abuse OxyContin: Savior or Killer? ...