Frequently abused narcotics and common names: Oxycontin® (known on the street as Oxy, Hillbilly heroin, Big C, and Killer), Dilaudid®, Percocet®, Percodan®, Demerol®, Codeine, Morphine (Duramorph® and Roxanol®), MS Contin®, Fentanyl (Duragesic®), Pentazocine (Talwin®), Propoxyphene (Darvon®), and Tylenol 3

How it works

Narcotics work by blocking the pain signals going to the brain or by interfering with the brain’s interpretation of those pain signals. Doctors will prescribe narcotic pain medications based on a variety of criteria. Oxycontin, for instance, is prescribed for the relief of moderate to severe pain requiring long-term use – chronic pain. It has a time-release feature which allows patients to take it only twice a day. Over time, our brains develop tolerance for narcotics, which require the dosage to be increased to have the same pain relief.

How is it used?

Prescription narcotics come in tablets, capsules, syrups, solutions and suppositories and can be mixed with other drugs such as acetaminophen or a cough suppressant. Oxycontin, unlike some others, is crushed to by-pass the time release feature. Users snort the powder or add water and inject the drug intravenously.

Canadian Statistics

1 million Canadians are addicted to prescription medications.

In a CAMH 2009 study, 17.8% of Ontario students in gr. 7-12 use prescription pain relievers non-medically. That's just under 200,000 students - and that's just Ontario! Prescription drugs are the third most commonly abused substances by students in Ontario behind alcohol and marijuana.

Launched in 1995, OxyContin accounted for 90 % of Purdue's U.S. prescription sales - more than US$1 billion annually.

Canadian Headlines

String of Rural Pharmacy Robberies

June 14, 2010

Three men commit a string of robberies, some at knife point, looking for Oxycontin.

Chronic pain vs. addiction: New guidelines fuel debate on opioids

May 23, 2010

For doctors with patients who suffer from chronic pain, the release this month of a new set of comprehensive guidelines on prescribing opioids offers the possibility of a cure, of sorts, for the professional ailment known as "opioid-phobia."

Thieves in market for painkiller: Cops

December 16, 2009

"Ottawa police are dealing with a slew of unsolved crimes after a demand for a highly addictive painkiller resulted in a string of pharmacy robberies over a one-month period."

Opioid deaths skyrocket since 1991: study

December 07, 2009

"Drugs like OxyContin are killing users in Ontario at twice the rate they were in 1991, a new study suggests."