News / Health & Wellness
OxyContin Abuse Risks Overblown?
A new study suggests that the media may have made OxyContin to be more of a villain that it really is.
The consensus from these sources seemed to be that OxyContin’s manufacturer Purdue had knowingly pushed a dangerously addictive product, leading to a population of accidental addicts and even deaths through careless prescribing by doctors.
But is Purdue the new drug pusher on the corner that we should all be worried about? Maybe not. The outrage in the media wasn’t supported by reliable evidence. The Orlando Sentinel ended up issuing an apology and repudiating the data that had driven its investigation. The FDA rebuked the DEA for shoddy methodology in its widely touted study claiming a dramatic increase in OxyContin-related deaths, and New York Times investigative reporter Barry Meier noted those deaths in his book Painkiller.
Now a new study of 27,816 drug addicts attending 157 treatment centers across the U.S. published in the American Journal of Psychiatry seems to provide evidence that there was no epidemic of accidental addiction to OxyContin.
Among this group of 1,425 addicts, only 22 percent reported receiving OxyContin by way of prescription for a medical problem. Conversely, 86 percent reported using OxyContin specifically to get high. Of this entire group, less than one percent was using Oxy exclusively. In other words, the overwhelming majority was abusing multiple different drugs.
OxyContin Treatment
Despite what the study proves or disproves, OxyContin is still addictive and can be dangerous when misused or overprescribed. If you or someone you love is battling an addiction or co-occurring disorder, call La Paloma at our toll-free number. Someone is there to take your call 24 hours a day and answer any questions you have about treatment, financing or insurance.
