What is Vicodin ® and how is it used?
Vicodin ® addiction is a growing crisis in the United States. While
illegal drugs like cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine,
and heroin remain in the headlines many individuals
may be surprised to know that Vicodin ® addiction
could lurk right behind them as one of the
most widely-abused drugs of addiction. In
fact, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration
believes Vicodin ® may be the most abused prescription
drug in the country. Nationwide, its use
has quadrupled in the last ten years, while
emergency room visits attributed to Vicodin ®
abuse soared 500 percent.
Vicodin ® is a narcotic that can produce
a calm, euphoric state similar to heroin
or morphine--and despite such important and
obvious benefits in pain relief, evidence
is pointing to chronic addiction. Pure hydrocodone,
the narcotic in Vicodin ®, is a Schedule II
substance, closely controlled with restricted
use. But very few prescription drugs are
pure hydrocodone. Instead, small amounts
of are mixed with other non-narcotic ingredients
to create medicines like Vicodin ® and Lortab ®.
This means they can be classified under Schedule
III with fewer restrictions on their use
and distribution.
Vicodin ®--one of more than 200 other products
that contain hydrocodone--is regulated by
state and federal law, but it is not controlled
as closely as other powerful painkillers.
The lack of regulation makes them vulnerable
to widespread abuse and addiction through
forged prescriptions, theft, over-prescription,
and "doctor shopping." Vicodin ® pills have
been sold for $2 to $10 per tablet and $20
to $40 per 8 oz bottle on the street.
Subject to individual tolerance, many medical
experts believe dependence or addiction can
occur within one to four weeks at higher
doses of Vicodin ®. Published reports of high
profile movie stars, TV personalities and
professional athletes who are recovering
from Vicodin ® addiction are grim testimony
to its debilitating effects.
Vicodin ® is structurally related to codeine
and is approximately equal in strength to
morphine in producing opiate-like effects.
The first report that Vicodin ® produced a
noticeable euphoria and symptoms of addiction
was published in 1923; the first report of
Vicodin ® addiction in the U.S. was published
in 1961.
Every age group has been affected by the
relative ease of Vicodin ® availability and
the perceived safety of these products by
professionals. Sometimes seen as a "white-collar" addiction,
Vicodin ® abuse has increased among all ethnic
and economic groups. DAWN data demographics
suggest that the most likely Vicodin ® abuser
is a 20-40 yr old, white, female, who uses
the drug because she is dependent or trying
to commit suicide. However, Vicodin ®-related
deaths have been reported from every age
grouping.
Examples of how severe Vicodin ® addiction
has become:
- An estimated 7 million dosage units were
diverted in 1994 and over 11 million in
1997.
- In 1998 there were over 56 million new
prescriptions written for hydrocodone products
like Vicodin and by 2000 there were over
89 million.
- From 1990 the average consumption nationwide
has increased by 300%. In the same period
there has been a 500% increase in the number
of Emergency Department visits attributed
to Vicodin abuse with 19,221 visits estimated
in 2000.
- In 1997, there were over 1.3 million Vicodin tablets seized and analyzed
by the DEA laboratory system.
Source: National Institute on Drug Addiction |
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