OxyContin is Leading Killer of Users in Florida January 7, 2002
News Summary
The illegal use of the prescription drug OxyContin has grown so much in Florida that the pain reliever was the biggest killer among illicit-drug users during the first six months of 2001, Reuters reported Jan. 2.According to Jim McDonough, director of the Florida Office of Drug Control, oxycodone, the generic ingredient in OxyContin, caused more deaths in the state than heroin or cocaine during the first half of 2001.
A study by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement shows that 218 people died from OxyContin overdoses in the first six months of 2001, compared to 126 deaths from heroin and 183 from cocaine toxicity.
"OxyContin is a very good drug when used for medicinal purposes, but when it is misused, it can be deadly," said McDonough.
To address the OxyContin problem, McDonough is urging Florida lawmakers to pass a bill that would require monitoring of OxyContin prescriptions and make it harder for dealers and users to falsify prescriptions.
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