2. 411
• Actual name –Oxycodone
• Opiod (pain reliever) and muscle relaxer
• Street names include- Oxy, Oxycotton, O.C.
Roxicodone
• Developed in Germany in early 1900’s
• Consumed through- chewing, swallowing,
snorting, injected, Suppositories
3. Effects of abuse
• (Mild) Euphoria, dizziness, nausea, weakness,
impaired coordination
• (Severe) Breathing problems, problems with
blood pressure and pulse, addiction, risk of
death
• Via injection- infections and disease can be
acquired through contaminated needles ( eg.
HIV, Hepatitis)
4. Prescription Conflict
• If used as prescribed, can be effective
• When abused can become addictive and
cause harm
• Those who are prescribed turn around and
distribute (sell or abuse on their own)
• Prescriptions doses given as small as possible
• There have been doctors caught illegally
selling the drug to patients
5. “In 2010, approximately 16 million
Americans reported using a prescription
drug for nonmedical reasons in the past
year”
-National Institute on Drug Abuse, October
2011
6. Mixing w/ other drugs
• W/ other pain killers- can cause Opiod
dependence which can lead to overdosing
• Slows down the Central Nervous systemnegative effect on the brain
• Slowed heart rate and breathing- can cause
self induced coma
• Mixing w/ alcohol intensifies chance of
overdose
7. Detox
• Withdrawing is difficult and takes time
• Severe withdrawal symptoms cause many to
go back to Oxy
• Medical centers provide detox programs
• Symptoms include-muscle aches, insomnia,
vomiting, anxiety, agitation etc…
• Professionals advise to not try to withdraw
alone
8. What do you think?
Although a prescribed pain killer Oxycontin is
frequently abused, Should it continue to be
prescribed? If so what changes can be done to
improve the overdose rate?
9. References
• NIDA. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/commonlyabused-drugs/commonly-abused-prescription-drugschart
• Skarnulus, L. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.webmd.com/painmanagement/features/oxycontin-pain-relief-vs-abuse
• Davis, C. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.rxlist.com/oxycontin-side-effects-drugcenter.htm
