Thursday, May 10, 2007

OxyContin Addictive?

No way. It took them this long to figure it out that OxyContin is addictive, I don't believe it. I can't believe it. I took a class year on the Economics of Crime and we spent a couple lectures on the phenomenon of Oxy and of Meth. OxyContin, a trade name for oxycodone, is a time-release painkiller that can be highly addictive. Designed to be swallowed whole and digested over 12 hours, the pills can produce a heroin-like high if crushed and then swallowed, snorted or injected. I have a hard time grasping the idea that it took this long to realize that they making people into addicts. I guess at least they are admitting it now instead of sweeping it under the rug. The painkiller's manufacturer and three executives plead guilty to misleading the public about the risks of addiction. Here is the article I found in the LA Times: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-ex-oxycontin10may10,0,6323733.story?coll=la-home-center

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