In the past, Oxycontin was one of the most widely-abused prescription drugs. However, more people are opting to use Opana, which is another type of opioid. Many news outlets have reported that people who abuse prescription killers are opting to use Opana.
The Rise In Prescription Drug Abuse
The Center For Disease Control And Prevention has declared prescription drug abuse an epidemic. In 2010, 1.3 million people visited the emergency room due to prescription drug abuse. That is a 115 percent increase since 2004.
There have also been a huge increase in pharmacy robberies. In fact, there was a case reported where a pharmacy was threatened to death if he did not give the list of drugs the robber demanded. Opana was one of the drugs the robber wanted.
Why Are More People Switching To Opana?
In 2010, Oxycontin was reformulated to make it more resistant to tamper. It is now harder to dissolve and crush. If the drug is crushed, it can be injected or snorted. This can cause a person to experience an intense high. When it is harder to crush a drug, people just move on to the next one.
Deterring Opana Drug Abuse
Opana ER, or extended release has also been reformulated in order to deter obese. This drug will be preferred over Oxycontin as long it is available in its previous form. However, officers believe people will switch to another drug once the new version of Opana is available.
Law enforcement officers are predicting more people will start abusing Opana before they move on to the next drug. The number of people getting Opana prescriptions has increased by 46 percent within just a few months.
Kentucky is the state that could be seeing the worse of the Opana drug abuse. The key ingredient in Opana is Oxymorphone. Oxymorphone was involved in 23 percent of the overdose fatalities that occurred in Kentucky in 2011.
Opana drug abuse is a growing at an alarming rate, but fortunately, measures are being put in place to deter it. Follow us for more information and resources on drug abuse and treatment.
