Marin Drug Recovery Updates

Let’s take a look at the world of Oxycontin, Oxycondone, street name OC (many of the tablets have the letters O and C imprinted on them). Why is it becoming the fastest-growing street “drug of choice” for young adults? If it were a problem, why would our respected medical profession prescribe it? If it’s being used illegally why is it available on the Web? How can it be so destructive if it is manufactured by responsible pharmaceutical corporations and not in some basement meth lab? These questions have validity and tend to confuse us as participants subject to peer pressure, addicts suffering from opiate withdrawal, parents and citizens. Is there a viable plan for therapy and subsequent recovery from Oxycontin addiction?

Oxycodone is an opioid analgesic, or pain medication, synthesized from thebaine (a minor constituent of opium, producing stimulatory rather than depressant effects). It is also sold in a sustained-release form in the U.S. by Purdue Pharma under the trade name OxyContin (the name is actually short for Oxycodone continuous release) as well as generic equivalents. It was developed in 1916 in Germany and its chemical name is derived from codeine — the chemical structures are very similar. In the United States, oxycodone is a Schedule II controlled substance. This mandates control by the DEA, strict administration of prescriptions, maximum 30-day allowance and no refills allowed on the initial prescription. It was first introduced to the U.S. market in May 1939 and is the active ingredient in a number of pain medications commonly prescribed for the relief of moderate to heavy pain. A partial list of these medications are referred to as Oxycodone, Oxycontin, Percocet, Tylox and Percodan.


Addiction to opiates usually originates in a controlled medical setting. Typically the patient has a back or neck injury and the pain is overwhelming. The doctor originally prescribes Vicodin and the pain goes away, temporarily. Tolerance to the med develops and more and more is needed to reduce the pain. Often meds are substituted, combined, added to, and increased until a problem becomes apparent. The problem is addiction! The medical profession is aware of the abuse/addiction and they become reluctant to continue prescribing. The patient becomes desperate and seeks the assistance of multiple doctors. This cycle can’t continue indefinitely and illegal or street drugs become the option.

The “young adult” route to opiate addiction is somewhat different in origin but bears the same results. The story has become a cliché regarding the kid who feels lost and just wants to fit in. The teen experience is difficult for most and “adaptation” is seemingly mandatory. Yet it isn’t only the outcast or odd one who chooses the drug route. There are an equal number of examples of valedictorians, star athletes and overachievers also finding solace in drug addiction. Yes, it does start innocently, with “gateway” drugs, e.g., cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana. The plot varies and the influencing factors are difficult to categorize. Many teens experiment with a variety of drugs and develop a normal pattern of acceptable usage into their adulthood. There is a middle group who seem to exceed experimentation and try any drug available. The pattern continues into adulthood, usually focusing on an individual drug. Such users would be described as problematic. While their lives function with impairment they are not addicted.

Addiction is the final stage or group, and Oxycontin/OC gets people addicted fast. As an opiate it is quickly tolerated (more is required for the same result) and getting “strung out” (physiologically addicted) can easily occur in one week. The misconceptions surrounding the drug are paramount: Many believe it is manufactured safely by pharmaceutical corporations, prescribed by family doctors, regulated and controlled by the federal government, pure and unadulterated, devoid of any criminal or underground element.
When a participant “joneses” (develops a physical craving, enters withdrawal) addiction takes its most devastating form. Illegal activity, inappropriate sexual practices, loss of self-respect and that of others, lying, avoidance of friends and family, and run-ins with police are some of the indicators of decline. Many who get to this point want to do the right thing, but the triggers, the group they run with, the affluence of our Western lifestyle and the easy access to OC repeatedly draws them back in. It sounds like a Hollywood movie line, but quite accurately they’re “in too deep.” They are at their weakest, yet trying to make the most important and difficult decision of their life.


Peruse some of the following stats and make your own decision regarding the severity of this current epidemic. They were funded by NIDA and conducted by the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research in 2007. My guess is that OxyContin addiction is getting worse.



NIDA: National Institute on Drug Abuse
Abuse of prescription drugs is particularly problematic among adolescents.
• NIDA’s 2007 Monitoring the Future
(MTF) survey found continued high rates of nonmedical use of the prescription pain relievers Vicodin and OxyContin in each grade. In 2007, many 12th grade students reported nonmedical use of Vicodin and OxyContin during the past year––9.6% and 5.2%, respectively (figure).
• And while the nonmedical use of some stimulants (i.e., methamphetamine) decreased among 12th-graders between 2006 and 2007, levels reported remain high. For the past year nonmedical use of amphetamines, 7.5% of 12th-graders reported abuse; for Ritalin, 3.8% reported abuse; and for methamphetamine, 1.7% reported abuse. It is generally believed that the broad availability of prescription drugs (e.g., via the medicine cabinet, the Internet, and physicians) and misperceptions about their safety make prescription medications particularly prone to abuse. Among those who abuse prescription drugs, high rates of other risky behaviors, including abuse of other drugs and alcohol, have also been reported.

For more information on drug and alcohol addiction therapy, visit the Marin Drug Recovery website