The Link between Violence and Prescription Drug Abuse

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The Link between Violence and Prescription Drug Abuse

The Orlando Sentinel recently reported on two men who robbed a Tampa CVS pharmacy at gunpoint, beating the manager and escaping with a substantial number of prescription pills.  With the police in pursuit, they crashed the truck they had stolen and then carjacked two different vehicles.  After eluding police, they continued their crime spree for another week, stealing another car at gunpoint and crashing into several cars before being captured by police.  At the time of his arrest, one of the men had over 1,000 prescription pills in his backpack.  Florida police cite this case as another example of how the desire for prescription drugs is linked to violent crime.

According to Phil Williams, director of Tampa’s Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation (MBI), prescription drug addicts and dealers “…are so desperate for this …

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Facts about Teen Prescription Drug Abuse

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Teenage abuse of prescription drugs is on the rise.  According to the Drug Use and Health 2006 national survey, prescription abuse is more common than all illegal drugs combined (excluding marijuana).  These highly addictive drugs have teens under the impression that they are safer than illicit drugs, which makes them that much more appealing.

“Nationally, 3.2 million teens, or one in five, admit to abusing prescription medication at least once.  Without teen education, these numbers are expected to increase.  The National Institute on Drug Abuse has designated November 8-14 as National Drug Facts Week; a health observance week for teens.”

A lot of teens think that because these drugs come from a doctor that they are safer than drugs that come off the streets, however that is not true.  Here are some myths and facts about prescription drug abuse…

Myths

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St. Thomas Overrun by OxyContin

Hillbilly Heroin, kicker, oxy…call it what you want, it’s all the same.  Local police have become alarmed for these small yellow/white pills that are becoming a big problem.

It’s a narcotic painkiller called OxyContin and it is highly addictive.  It’s also called Percocet, Oxycocet, and Percodan when mixed with other things such as aspirin.  These oxycodone-based drugs are for moderate to sever pain.  However the treatment has side effects of euphoria, or an intense feeling of pleasure, which makes the drug so appealing and addictive.

Health Canada states, “With the purest form of the drug, OxyContin, pills are time-released when taken normally, but when chewed, inhaled through the nose or injected, the effects become stronger.”  So strong, that it’s hard not to get addicted to the feeling of stimulation.  People become reliant on that feeling and continue to abuse the …

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Antiopes – “Quit Oxy Without Withdrawal Symptoms”

Today we read the Press Release on SFGate by the makers of Antiopes.  We would definitely love to see a drug emerge that could help you “Quit Painkiller Addiction with no Withdrawal Symptoms” (actual quote) but we have our doubts.

Antiopes is a medicine that seems to be mainly OTC herbs that will supposedly reduce discomfort during the detoxification period.  We are not sure what to make of such “pie in the sky” claims, and will defer to the community of recovering opiate addicts to weigh in on Antiopes and how it served them.

One thing that is for sure, considering the amount of pain and suffering that is being caused by opiate addiction today, it would certainly seem to open the door for some unscrupulous businessmen to profit off of the pain of others by promising “a pain free …

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U.S. Drug Use Fuels Mexican Drug Wars

In addition to an rise in OxyContin overdoses, heroin overdoses, drug crime, and shattered lives, opiate dependence in the United States has also fueled the stakes for narco-criminals in Mexico.  There are some staggering tales of cruelty and murder related to the drug ward.

U.S. Drug Use Fuels Mexican Drug Wars

The drug war that has gripped Mexico for the past several years erupted again this week and left 13 men dead at a drug rehabilitation center near Tijuana.  Masked gunmen armed with semiautomatic weapons broke into the El Camino a la Recuperacion Center, ordered residents onto the ground, and then began shooting.  Mexican officials have not made any arrests, but all signs indicate a link to the ongoing bloody violence between warring drug cartels.

Because of the high number of violent crimes that have taken place in northern Mexico …

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A Look at Emerging Technologies in Opiate Addiction Treatment

Effective treatment for opiate addiction requires more than just a cessation of the drugs’ intake.

However, as insidious as OxyContin (and other opioids like heroin) have become, we need to take advantage of every scientific and medical development we possibly can to give men and women the best chance at recovery.

Enter Vivitrol shots and Probuphine (Suboxone) implants.

As an improvement over the tried and true (and outdated) methadone maintenance program, Vivitrol and Suboxone allow for the curbing of cravings and even (in Vivitrol’s case) prevent the euphoria of taking opiates like OxyContin.

Obviously, the main downfall to such medications are that since they have traditionally been prescribed as tablets that are taken daily, for someone to miss a dose (accidentally or otherwise) opens up the risk for a relapse on an opioid that could be life threatening.

The Vivitrol …

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Poignant Story from Poway, California

This is a tough one to read.  In an article in the Poway Patch, a story of a brave survivor of an overdose is told.

Aaron Rubin survived an OxyContin overdose and still goes back to Poway High to speak with the students about the dangers of experimenting with drugs.

The thing is, that Aaron is confined to home care as he cannot walk or talk.

Poway High (like any high school) is no stranger to the dangers of drug abuse.  Days before school started, a sophomore died from a drug overdose, and in 2007 another grad died from an OxyContin overdose.

The article goes on to cite statistics the likes of which we often show here.  They highlight the deadly growth of prescription drug use by teens and how parents often contribute to the problem by not confronting their …

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Mothers Fighting Together Against OxyContin

We are impressed with a recent article we read inthe Outer Banks Sentinel about mothers who have teamed up to fight against the rampant OxyContin abuse that is occurring in the Northeast.

The group in Dare County has been spurred on by the fatal and near fatal overdoses experienced by their loved ones and family members.

The story of Ward Blanchard is recounted and is a typical one.  “He never drank or did a drug until he was 25 years old.” His mother said.  An autoimmune disease exposed him to OxyContin and other opiates and he went down the all too familiar road of opiate addiction.

If you live in the area, Get involved with the Dare Coalition Against Substance Abuse.

Other Good Articles Relating to OxyContin:

  • The American Double Sacrifice follows the story of a corporal who became addicted
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Sticky Oxycontin Formulation Very Controversial Among Patients

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There has been an ongoing debate about whether or not OxyContin should even be legal (in our opinion: no).

But, many who depend on this medication are in pain and subject to unbearable withdrawals and overwhelming suffering if the drug is not taken regularly.

Enter Sticky OxyContin.

Purdue Pharma has implemented a new “harder to abuse” version of OxyContin called “sticky OxyContin.”  The drug is supposedly tamper resistant so that it can be difficult or impossible to snort or inject.

Medical patients who rely on OxyContin and use it legitimately (orally and according to dosage guidelines) claim the drug does not have the same painkilling effect as previous formulations of OxyContin. Others, who abuse the drug have taken to discussing the methods by which they can still abuse the drug.  You can see some discussion in the comments section of …

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Three New Articles Highlight Oxy’s Damage Coast to Coast

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A look at some OxyContin in the headlines from coast to coast United States:

1. Cape Cod in Massachusetts

An article on BehavioralHealthCentral shows how middle/upper class Cape Cod is affected by OxyContin.  Using a young girl Lauren as a case study, the article chronicles the increasingly common tale of a young person becoming addicted to opiates.

On the outside, Lauren was a sweet, caring, and intelligent young women who often put her community first.  She loved animals and portrayed herself as a composed person who loved life.  Lauren hoped to be a clinical psychologist one day.

But just like many young people, Lauren was introduced to prescription drugs.  She soon became an addict, which can easily happen to so many, and it soon lead to her downfall.  In July of 2009, Lauren was arrested for percocet possession.  Her family …

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