03 January 2002

White House Drug Office Cites Increase in OxyContin Abuse

The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) reports increasing abuse of the legal pharmaceutical painkiller Oxycontin. A biannual survey of drug abuse trends also finds that abuse of the so-called club drug ecstasy is expanding to a broader population beyond the young adults who first began taking the synthetic substance in dance clubs.

The biannual survey "Pulse Check" was released December 27. In a press release, ONDCP Director John Walters said, "We are now seeing OxyContin abuse breaking out in new areas and spreading across economic, ethnic and regional lines. It's a problem for all of us to take seriously."

Following is the text of the ONDCP release:

White House Office of National Drug Control Policy

Thursday, December 27, 2001

Oxycontin Abuse Expanding Rapidly

ONDCP Releases "Pulse Check" on Latest Drug Abuse Trends

Washington, DC - John P. Walters, Director of National Drug Control Policy, today released the biannual Pulse Check report on the latest trends in drug use. The current report has a special focus on the abuse of synthetic opioids, including the prescription pain drug OxyContin.

Walters, the nation's Drug Czar, noted that while the price and purity of established drugs like heroin and cocaine remained stable over the six months tracked by the report, OxyContin diversion and abuse is rising rapidly. Director Walters warned that the new data on OxyContin are "a wake-up call" for people who thought that illicit abuse of the drug was limited to rural areas. "We are now seeing OxyContin abuse breaking out in new areas and spreading across economic, ethnic, and regional lines. It's a problem for all of us to take seriously."

"The Pulse Check gives policy makers a handle on the latest drug trends and a direct connection to the streets of America," said Director Walters. "By monitoring what is happening in our neighborhoods, we can identify problems before they become epidemics. The data Pulse Check provides about the expanding misuse of Ecstasy and synthetic opioids like OxyContin is valuable for making informed policy decisions at the federal, state, and local levels.

Walters also announced that "The next edition of Pulse Check will have a special focus on the impact of September 11, and will allow us to track changes in chronic drug use patterns in order to develop and maintain effective treatment and prevention strategies."

Among the findings reported by Pulse Check sources:

• The misuse of OxyContin was cited as an emerging drug problem, particularly in the Northeast and Southeast, where reports of diversion and abuse have greatly increased;

• OxyContin is more expensive than heroin and has now moved from being abused in mostly rural areas to more metropolitan areas;

• The abuse of club drugs, including Ecstasy, is expanding across ethnic, age, and economic backgrounds and spreading from nightclubs and raves to high schools, neighborhoods, and other venues;

• The dangerous trend of mixing heroin with other drugs like cocaine and Ecstasy (a combination called a "trail mix") is increasing;

• Price and purity levels for both cocaine and heroin remain stable;

• Marijuana remains the most widely available illicit drug; reports indicate increased availability of more potent, hydroponically-grown varieties from British Columbia;

The Pulse Check report is based on discussions with epidemiologists, ethnographers, law enforcement officials, and treatment providers. The report collects data from more than 80 different sources and 21 sites across the country. A full copy of the report is available at: www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov

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