Transcript Prescription Drugs

Prescription Drug Abuse
4 Drugs we’ll be talking about…
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Perceset
Vicodin
Oxycontin
Xanax
Perceset
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Taken orally
Available in 5, 10, and 20 mg. capsules
Prescribed for post-operative pain control
Derived from the opium poppy
Abusers simply crush the tablets, then either ingest
the resulting powder orally, intranasally, via
intravenous, intramuscular or subcutnaous
injection (by dissolving the powder), or rectally to
achieve rapid absorption into the bloodstream.
Vicodin
• is a selective pain killer commonly seen as a white
tablet with the name
• Vicodin can be addictive both physically and
psychologically. Addiction to Vicodin is similar to
other powerful addictions; cravings for the drug take
hold of a person and may even supersede a person's
need for food or water
• The symptoms of Vicodin withdrawal include but are
not limited to extreme sensitivity to light and sound,
restlessness, fever, muscle pain, bone pain,
insomnia, diarrhea, goose bumps, involuntary leg
movements, watery eyes, runny nose, loss of
appetite, irritability, panic, nausea, depression, chills,
excessive sneezing for up to a week long and sweat.
OxyContin
• Percocet tablets (Oxycodone with acetaminophine)
are routinely prescribed for post-operative pain
control. Oxycodone is also used in treatment of
moderate to severe chronic pain.
• The introduction of OxyContin in 1995 resulted in
increasing patterns of abuse. Unlike Percocet, whose
potential for abuse is limited by the presence of
paracetamol, OxyContin contains only oxycodone
and inert filler. Abusers simply crush the tablets, then
either ingest the resulting powder [[[[orally]]]],
intranasally, via intravenous, intramuscular or
subcutaneous injection (by dissolving the powder), or
rectally to achieve rapid absorption into the
bloodstream
Xanax
• Xanax is a short-acting drug in the benzodiazepine
class used to treat anxiety disorders and as an
adjunctive treatment for depression
• Although it is not manufactured illegally, it is often
diverted to the black market. The state of relaxation,
anxiolysis, disinhibition and euphoria induced by
benzodiazepines is the main reason for their illicit
use.
Uses in Eastern Kentucky
• These drugs are widely considered to be the four
most abused prescription drugs in Eastern
Kentucky. Users will do anything to obtain these
to get their “fix” from bribing doctors to stealing
prescription pads. Dealers who sell these can fetch
up to as much $1.25 a milligram.