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Uncle Sam Claims Abuse of Prescription Pain Medication Increased 400% over Ten Year Span

The White House Office of Drug Control Policy recently issued the findings of a drug study performed during 1998 to 2008. The policy group found that during that decade there was a 400% increase in the number of people admitted for treatment for abusing prescription pain medicine. Gil Kerlikowske, Director of the White House Office of Drug Control Policy, declared that prescription drug abuse is now the second-most prevalent form of illicit drug use in the country, and the nation's fastest-growing drug problem. The government target group for this study included every gender, race, ethnicity, education and employment level and covered all regions of the country.

In a previous blog on prescription abuse, MMC reported that Mark Long, chief of the Montana Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation Narcotics Bureau believes that, "Hydrocodone, Oxycodone, Methadone and Fentanyl are the four most commonly abused prescription painkillers." OxyContin has become a target for abusers because of the larger amounts of the active ingredient in relation to other previous oxycodone products and the ability of abusers to easily compromise the controlled release formulation. Simply crushing the tablet can negate the timed effect of the drug, enabling abusers to swallow, inhale, or inject the drug, which is water soluble, for a powerful morphine-like high.

Contact Pittsburgh Drug testing firm - Mobile Medical Corporation (MMC) - today for more information about OxyContin drug testing and other prescription and substance abuse testing services!
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