Unfortunately, we live in a world where there is rampant substance abuse, and with newer medical and pharmaceutical developments, there are many different ways a person can turn to get their “fix.” A newer development in the world of drugs, is the introduction of opiate based pills that are just as addictive as one of the most dangerous street drugs, heroin. Oxycontin addiction is one of the newest ways that people are using to get high, and it is a drug that is just as dangerous as heroin, if used improperly.

Sadly, this is the case for many people across the world. Oxycontin was conceived because the healthcare industry wanted to make a stronger aid in combating and relieving people with injuries, and wanted to also relieve those suffering from anxiety. Shortly thereafter, the drug became one of the most widely used drugs in being abused. It is a highly addictive drug, and many people young and old are finding out this can be just as addictive as morphine or heroin, and are seeking the help of many treatment centers around the United States. Since then, the DEA started heavily regulating the prescriptions, weeding out those who really needed the drug and those who were suffering from Oxycontin addiction.

In 2001, there were more than 6.5 million prescriptions written for the drug, and although not everyone was abusing the drug, there were still a large amount of people who saw it as a feasible means to get high. This was especially true for those in more rural areas, which gave its name “hillbilly heroin,” as people saw it as a cheaper alternative to heroin. Although this may be the case, the use of the drug is in nearly every state, especially Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and West Virginia. At the last time a study was conducted, there were more than 975,000 people who were using the drug for non-medical purposes on a semi-regular basis.
One of the biggest concerns for ocycontin addiction are younger people. It is generally found at parties, where teens that are not specifically mindful of the power and addictive personalities of the drug may ingest it. From there, the drug has the potential to start a chain reaction, and create a dependency on the drug, which is one notorious for having serious physical withdrawals.

The abuse of this drug is one that is especially dangerous because of this fact, and with a very addictive personality, it makes it just as dangerous as heroin. If a person is dependent on the drug, they should immediately seek help in one of the various treatment centers around the country. Although admitting that a person may have a problem is something that isn’t particularly easy, they should know that Oxycontin addiction is a very serious problem, and should be corrected as soon as they possibly can.

With more than 11,000 treatment centers around the country, and a large amount of them specializing in opiod treatments, any person with the disease of addiction is sure to kick the habit.