Since 1995 the amount of people admitted to drug treatment centers for Oxycontin has risen dramatically. The drug, originally developed to ease moderate to severe pain has fast become one of the most popular recreational drugs on the market accounting for more and more admissions into drug treatment as a result of abuse of the drug.
Oxycontin is now being sold on many different markets currently. Many people who use the drug are buying it from people who have prescriptions and are selling the pills to make a profit. Most Oxycontin users will eventually switch to heroin, as the high is the same, but heroin is cheaper. There is a black market for Oxycontin in which the drug is brought illegally into the country.
There are several different ways to take Oxycontin. Users can inject it, snort it, or eat it. All of these ways negate the time release coating on all Oxycontin pills. By eliminating the time release, users experience a euphoric rush that can last anywhere from 2-4 hours. The abusers of Oxycontin typically participate in doctor shopping, faking injury, and prescription fraud in order to keep their supply.
Narconon Louisiana, a treatment center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana specializes in drug treatment and helping people come off of opiates. Jeff Lukas, Executive Director of Narconon Louisiana has seen a large number of Oxycontin abusers enroll in the facility. "The withdrawal is just like heroin," Mr. Lukas explains. "There is not a huge difference between heroin addicts and Oxycontin addicts."
Some withdrawal symptoms of Oxycontin are; nausea, body aches, constipation, trouble sleeping, runny nose, and general pain. These withdrawal symptoms, depending on the amount of use, can last anywhere from 3 days to 2 weeks.
"People need to be more aware of what is in their medicine cabinets, he says."Parents are unknowingly providing their children with Schedule II narcotics. When you start taking Vicodin or Percocets it's only a matter of time before you move to the harsher drugs, like Oxycontin. "
Although drug addiction is a growing problem in America, there is a solution. Places like Narconon Louisiana, are providing care to people who are struggling to get their lives back. If you or anyone you know is in need of drug treatment, please call Jeff Lukas at 866-422-4680. You can also visit the Narconon Louisiana website: http://www.drugabusesolution.com/.
