Essay on OxyContin New Entry in the Drug War - 2854 Words

OxyContin New Entry in the Drug War When concerned with the ethics of development in a global environment, the issue of drug abuse is of particular importance. All of the different aspects of the drug trade impact a nation, and specifically the development of a nation within a global environment. Within the United States, drug abuse has been prevalent among specific populations in society for almost a half of a century now. Historically speaking, drug abuse has erupted in many directions; new drugs have offered new markets, new trends have developed new habits. These patterns have become societal concerns on many levels. The creation of new drugs has added another dimension to prescriptive drug abuse. Though science is making†¦show more content†¦Prescription drug abuse is the type of problem that can potentially have an effect on a large number of Americans. In 2003, the National Institute on Drug Abuse did a â€Å"Monitoring the Future Study† of 8th, 10th, a nd 12th, graders and found that 10.5% of 12th graders reported were misusing Vicodin and 4.5% of 12th graders had taken OxyContin without a prescription. Vicodin is a popular pain medication prescribed for some of the most common medical procedures, such as wisdom teeth removal. It is an opioid-based pain medication that diminishes pain; it is highly addictive when not used in accordance with the prescribed dosage. OxyContin is a narcotic similar to morphine, containing a high dose of oxycodone. Since its initial approval in 1995, it has gotten a great deal of attention because of the large number of overdoses it is associated with. OxyContin is a controlled drug containing oxycodone, the active ingredient responsible for eliminating the pain associated with: injuries, bursitis, dislocation, fractures, neuralgia, arthritis, lower back pain, and pain associated with cancer. When taken according to the proper dosage, the oxycodone runs on a perfectly timed release in the body’s system in order to manage the pain. This narcotic, when abused, produces heroin like effects and can enable the user to develop a tolerance, forcing an increase in dosage per intake in order to achieve the desired effects. Though OxyContin isShow MoreRelatedImpacts of Information Technology on Individuals, Organizations and Societies21097 Words   |  85 PagesAssociation of America (MPAA), slapped hundreds of people with lawsuits for illegally downloading and trading films online. The U.S. departments of Justice and Homeland Security shut down Elite Torrents, a popular Web site that spread copies of Star Wars: Episode III— Revenge of the Sith before the movie officially opened. Even Bram Cohen, creator of BitTorrent (a peer-to-peer file-sharing program responsible for an estimated 65% of illegal movie downloads in 2005), agreed to cut links to MPAA-pirated