Why is OxyContin Abused?
Frequently overlooked in the media hype about OxyContin is an understanding of the pharmacological facts about this drug. OxyContin is nothing more than an extended release form of the common pain reliever, oxycodone. What was not clear to anyone when OxyContin was first introduced, was that the larger amounts of oxycodone provided in the OxyContin pills would become an attraction to drug abusers. Drug abusers learned that the pills could be modified (for example, crushed) such that oxycodone could be extracted in relatively large amounts. The typical oxycodone pills contain 5 to 10 mg of oxycodone. OxyContin pills vary in dose and may contain anywhere from 10 to 80 mg of oxycodone. OxyContin is a very effective medication for patients with pain. The success and popularity of the drug meant that the medication became widely available. Thus, abuse became an increasing issue in particular, for reasons still not understood, in rural areas of the country. No one I know in 1995 in the drug
