Was accidental OxyContin addiction “overblown” by the media
Now that some time has passed since the media began its focus on OxyContin Addiction, several studies have been performed that may indicate that concerns about the drug were overblown.
Granted, OxyContin is still considered an addictive, highly dangerous drug if used improperly, but when taken as directed, the chance of “accidental addiction” would appear to be fairly rare.
Consider the following reporting from STATS, a non-partisan organization:
The consensus of all of these sources was, broadly, that Purdue had knowingly pushed a dangerously addictive product, and that thousands of people - most famously Rush Limbaugh - had become accidental addicts and hundreds had died, often through careless prescribing by doctors. As Geraldo Rivera raged on Fox news, Purdue’s “corporate vultures”
“…are the most insidious drug pushers, forcing their addictive junk on millions of unsuspecting victims, with the same disregard for their health and wellbeing as any demon doper.”
There was only one problem with all of this: the consensus, the moral outrage, the muck-raking investigative journalism wasn’t supported by reliable evidence.
STATS goes on to site the American Journal of Psychiatry, that studies 27,000 drug addicts across the United States and found that only a small number became accidentally addicted to OxyContin.
This report, however, should do NOTHING to undercut the importance of OxyContin rehab treatment for those who take the drug in any manner other than how it was intended. If an individual snorts or injects OxyContin they are getting all of the active ingredients at once (instead of time-released) which can lead to addiction and overdose.
Tags: oxycontin addiction, oxycontin rehab, prescription drug addiction