Oxycontin Abuse in Canada

May 22, 2007. By Jane Mundy
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Oxycontin (also known as Oxycodone) is a powerful narcotic drug used for the treatment of moderate to severe pain. In Canada it is sold under various trade names, including OxyContin, Supeudol, Endocet and Oxycocet. And it's also known as "hillbilly heroin" due to its popularity in poor regions of the US, where overdoses have claimed more than 100 lives.

But Oxycontin's overdoses and abuse isn't limited to the US. In the late 1990s, Ontario's Chief Coroner, Dr. Barry McLellan, asked that forensic scientists go back and review death files from people with drug overdoses for the past five years. They found that between 1999 and 2003 there had been between a four- and five-fold increase in deaths where Oxycodone had been detected in the blood of the deceased.

Oxycontin is a pill that operates on a time-release principle, but Hillbilly Heroin is made by crushing the pills and then either injecting or "snorting" the resulting powder.

Oxycontin Damage: A Timeline
In 2000, The USA based Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) reported a 400% increase in oxycodone related deaths, based on medical examiner and coroner reports.

In 2001, Oxycodone abuse was highly publicized throughout North America.

In 2003, the death toll in Canada mounted as 101 people in Ontario alone died with Oxycodone in their systems -- 10 times more than a decade ago.

In January of 2004, the FDA strengthened the warnings and precautions sections in the labeling of OxyContin (oxycodone HCl controlled-release) tablets after many reports of abuse, some resulting in death. In response, Purdue Pharmaceuticals, manufacturer of Oxycontin, issued a warning in the form of a "Dear Healthcare Professional" letter that was distributed to health professionals and the medical community.

In 2005, the CTV news reported a tragic tale about Kyle Blythe, a young man in Ontario whose life spiraled out of control. His doctor prescribed Oxycontin after Blythe suffered tendonitis in his wrist. To make a long story short, Blythe spent about $100,000 getting OxyContin illegally and ruined his life. At one time he had a wife and a house—he wound up moving in with his parents and enrolled in a legal methadone program to withdraw from Oxycontin.

All along, Purdue Pharma claimed that OxyContin, because of its controlled time release formulation, posed a lower threat of abuse and addiction to patients than did traditional, shorter-acting painkillers like Percocet or Vicodin.

And that claim earned them annual sales of $1 billion just a few years after the drug was approved in 1996.

Aggressive sales reps marketed Oxycontin to doctors who had little training in serious pain management or recognizing drug abuse and by 2000, Oxycontin abuse in mainly rural and poor regions of the U.S. was rampant.

Fast forward to May 10th. At a proceeding in a United States District Court in Abingdon VA, both Purdue Pharma and three company executives acknowledged that the company fraudulently marketed OxyContin for six years as a drug that was less prone to abuse, and one that also had fewer narcotic side effects. The company agreed to pay roughly $600 million in fines and other payments. As well, the three executives of Purdue Pharma pleaded guilty to misbranding ( which is a criminal violation) and agreed to $34.5 million in fines -- small potatoes considering the billions in sales Oxycontin earned Purdue Pharma.

Oxycontin Lawyer Help
If you have been adversely affected by using Oxycontin, you can send your complaint to an [Oxycontin Canada Lawyer] who will evaluate your claim at no charge or obligation.
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Our drug addicts need real treatment, not mouthpieces for their crack pipes

David Berner
Special to The Province

Friday, January 04, 2008

Would you cross the street to give a drunk a clean shot glass? Of course not.
But that only means you have better instincts and more common sense in your pinkie finger than all the geniuses in the Ministry of Health.
Yesterday, this newspaper headlined the news that free plastic mouthpieces are on the way for crack pipes and their users.
Apparently, all five provincial health authorities will participate in this giveaway.
The rationale is that this will stem the tide of hepatitis C -- spread, we are told, by sharing crack pipes.
The impetus for this bad policy, as it often is with harm-reduction strategies, is truly bad science.
It is based on one study in Toronto with 51 participants, in which the hepatitis virus was found on one pipe.
In Grade 9 chemistry, you'd get a D for work like this.
Dr. Perry Kendall, B.C.'s chief medical officer, says that giving crack addicts clean mouthpieces will "introduce people to health care and addiction treatment services as well."
Really, doctor?
On Monday, I asked a long-time Burnaby RCMP officer about the availability of treatment options in his district for addicted youth.
His answer? "I don't know of any."
Wednesday's news follows fast on the story that the
Vancouver Island Health Authority was gearing up to give entire crack-smoking kits for free to addicts in Duncan,
Courtenay, Nanaimo and Campbell River.
And Victoria Mayor Alan Lowe has for many months been petitioning to open not one, but four safe-injection sites in his city. Further, he proposes that one of the sites be a mobile unit.
"Step right up! Shoot in comfort here!"
Are you familiar with the mobile cancer station driving through your neighbourhood? The Arthritis on Wheels program?
No?
That's because they don't exist, but the mayor of our capital city is shopping for a drive-by shooting gallery.
Perhaps your grandmother has diabetes. She has raised two generations of family, cleaned house, worked, paid taxes and taken the kids to ball games and ballet lessons.
Now she walks to the local pharmacy and, opening her change purse, pays for the needles she needs to inject her insulin.
Is the B.C. health ministry opening its little change purse to help grandma buy needles?
Crack pipes and crack kits, free needles, safe-injection sites, free heroin and substitute drugs are all tragically bad strategies.
I ran a residential treatment centre for addicts in two provinces for 10 years.
Hundreds and hundreds of addicts learned to live clean and sober lives. The program still flourishes in Manitoba.
I have lobbied for almost 40 years now for treatment and more treatment.
Later today, I will deliver a speech to a local Rotary Club on this exact subject.
Treatment is needed, not plastic filters.
-- david@davidberner.com

Canada and Drugs

Well they are certainly rampant in every small town, large city in every province and territory.

Drugs don't really care who they take, one person is a good as the next person.  They are truly non discriminatory colour, age, gender preference, creed, social status, level of income - makes no difference.

The drug has it's effect and once one is under the spell, the evil spell of addiction, it is a hard road for all who know and love that person as well as for the person themselves.

The road to recovery, to sobriety to rehabilitation is there, once over the fears of pain and failure.  It can be an easy road to get on, there is lots of help and encouragement.  Once on forget all the exit signs advertised and available and stick it out.

I hope to explore the various problems and successes with this journey and in doing so encourage others to give it a try and hopefully succeed.

You are welcome to comment, I invite you to do so.