February 28 , 2004
Erik Hedendahl, D.C. - Editor
An increasing number of people are seeking treatment for dependency on OxyContin, according to a report Friday by a California drug treatment center.
The Waismann Institute's 2004 Opiate
Dependency Report said dependency on the powerful painkiller drug is catching up to that of the leading opiate
painkiller, Vicodin. The center's survey found 33 percent of patients seeking treatment there had a dependency to OxyContin, compared to 39 percent who sought help for a Vicodin dependency.
Clare
W. Kavin, executive director, said in a statement, "Although OxyContin
is sometimes abused to achieve a high often compared to heroin,
our survey revealed that 66 percent of respondents dependent on OxyContin
indicated that their dependency stemmed from a desire to stop pain." Of
that 66 percent, 44 percent said their dependency started after a doctor
prescribed the drug, while 22 percent got the medication from a friend
or relative. Thirty-four percent of respondents indicated they became
dependent after taking the drug to get high.
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Copyright 2004 by United Press International.
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