Oxycodone is an opiate that is prescribed for moderate to high pain relief associated with severe injuries, bursitis, dislocation, fractures, neuralgia, arthritis, lower back and cancer pain. OxyContin, Perocet, Percodan, and Tylox are other trade names for Oxycodone products. Prescribed in tablet form, OxyContin is supposed to be taken orally to allow the controlled release of Oxycodone over a 12 hour period, making it the longest lasting pain reliever on the market. As with most opioids, Oxycodone is highly addictive and has a high potential for abuse, thus it is classified by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as a Schedule II narcotic.

• OxyContin Brochure
• Article: The Oxy Epidemic by Dave Ross

How OxyContin is Abused

Oxycontin is a very powerful time released medication that is to be taken under close supervision of a physician. Using the drug without the supervision of a physician or for purposes other than its intended use can lead to serious and adverse consequences, including death from overdose. When abused, tablets are crushed and snorted, chewed, injected or smoked. If the pill is not taken in the prescribed manner, the Oxycodone is introduced all at once rather than a slow release as intended. Within ten minutes, the effects are felt and last three to four hours. Most individuals who abuse Oxycodone seek to gain euphoric effects, and avoid withdrawal symptoms associated with Oxycodone or heroin abstinence.

Prescription Drug Abuse Facts & Misconceptions

• Society has developed the belief that "pills" cure all and if it’s from the drug store, it must be safe and harmless.
• Teens feel using RX drugs to get high is "much safer" than street drugs, and because they are prescribed, ⅓ believe RX painkillers are not dangerous or addictive.
• It is estimated that almost 30 million people used prescription drugs non-medically in 2009, and of those, 1.5 million were dependent on them.
• Prescription drugs have become the second most abused illegal drug behind marijuana in juveniles ages 12-17 and most commonly abused among 12-13 year olds.
• For the first time, there are just as many new abusers (12 and older) of prescription drugs as there are for marijuana.
• Teens ages 12-17 have the second-highest annual rates of prescription drug abuse after young adults and are turning away from street drugs and using prescription drugs to get high.

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