Does Your Doctor Really Know Best?

While we have heard that marijuana use is down for the first time in decades over the past 4 years, there is a new, even more dangerous trend on the horizon.

A recent survey revealed that 9.5 percent of 12th graders reported using the painkiller Vicodin and 5.5 percent reported using OxyContin in the past year.

Long-term trends show a significant increase in the abuse of OxyContin from 2002 to 2005 among 12th graders.

OxyContin is a time-release, morphine-like narcotic intended to relieve chronic pain of moderate to severe proportions. One pill of OxyContin is designed to last 12 hours.

The active ingredient in OxyContin is oxycodone, an opioid, a close relative of morphine, heroin, codeine, and methadone.

OxyContin has been much abused. It is highly addicting. Those who abuse "Oxy" usually crush the pills--to disable their time-release mechanism--and then snort or inject them for a powerful and immediate opiate high.

So how does a prescription-only drug make it to the streets?

Why, your local doctor of course.

But who is really to blame?

The research I did shows that a company called Purdue makes this drug. They got themselves in trouble with the FDA for doing an excessive marketing campaign and not sending the promotional video materials to the FDA for approval prior to launching the campaign, which is illegal.

This campaign focused on marketing to physicians who may not have been adequately trained in pain management medications.

Purdue used an expanded sales force to reach physicians and primary care specialists to not only prescribe the drug for cancer pain, which is the stated use, but also as an opioid treatment for moderate to severe noncancer pain.

As a result, by the end of 2003 nearly half of the drug's prescribers were primary care physicians.

Even the DEA got in the action and put the pressure on this company as it saw the results of increased street use. (Source - A General Office Accounting Report titled: Prescription Drugs)

The bottom line here is that this drug is twice as powerful as morphine. A drug is a drug, pure and simple.

In my opinion one of the most devastating causes of drug abuse on this planet is simply "The Marketing" of them.

From slick street dealers to our trusted physicians, one has to ask, "How can we possibly combat this issue?"

The answer is simple. Proper education on drugs.

Our research shows that once properly educated about drugs, kids change their attitudes about them.

More importantly, our soon-to-be-released video, Ecstasy: The Real Story, provides a dramatic look at the advertising of drugs--from dealers to main-stream media.

This information will shock you, just as it has the kids who have watched a preview of it.

More help is needed to get this vital information out to our youth. You may have seen the recent event that explained our campaign.

This should give you an idea of what we are doing here at Friends of Narconon.

I urge each one of you to join us in our mutual fight to free our youth from the ravages of drugs.

Call Sarah Jonic today (1-800-882-6862) for complete details on our program and to answer any questions you may have on how you can help out in your area.

Call now and you'll get information on our master plan that is sure to send shock waves into the drug dealing community!

May you all have a wonderful and prosperous New Year!

Sincerely,

Robert Hernandez, CCDC*
President, Friends of Narconon, Intl.
*Certified Chemical Dependency Counselor

© 2006 Friends of Narconon, Intl. All Rights Reserved. Narconon, the Narconon logo, and the Narconon "Jumping Man" logo are trademarks and service marks owned by Association for Better Living and Education International and are used with its permission.