What is 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, Oxycotton¹

What does OxyContinlook like?

• OxyContincomes 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 OxyContinin 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.²
• An increase in illegal use has been especially apparent on the East Coast.³
• 9% or 19.9 million Americans have used pain relievers illegally in their lifetime.⁴

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 $80.⁵

What are some consequences of illicit OxyContin use?

• Long-term usage can lead to physical dependence.⁶
• A large dosage can cause severe respiratory depression that can lead to death.⁷
• Withdrawal symptoms include restlessness, muscle and bone pain, insomnia, diarrhea, vomiting, cold flashes with goose bumps, and involuntary leg movements.⁸