New Yorkers are filling more prescriptions for the opiate-based painkiller oxycodone (brand name OxyContin) than ever before—way more. The number of prescriptions doubled in three years to reach one million in 2010.
That turns out to be around one prescription for every eight people in the city population. (Learn More About Opioid Risks: Codeine, Oxycodone, and Tramadol)
Maybe life got more painful in New York, but twice as much?
Calling it a prescription drug abuse epidemic, The Wall Street Journal reports on statements by New York’s special narcotics prosecutor, Bridget Brennan. Her office is involved in investigating a growing number of prescription drug cases.
In a presentation to the City Council’s Public Safety Committee, the special prosecutor said "The public flat out needs to be better informed about how widespread the problem is and how dangerously addictive these substances are…" (WSJ)
Learn more about prescription drug use and abuse in Football and Painkillers.
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Source: “Oxy Usage Doubles in Three Years,”The Wall Street Journal, March 16, 2011
