It's only a matter of time before Oxycodone addicts are able to get around the time-release of the Oxycontin's replacement, Oxyneo, according to Greater Sudbury Police Service.

Oxyneo and Oxycontin are registered trademarks of Purdue Pharma Canada, which states Oxyneo is a new formulation of extended release Oxycodone hydrochloride that the company developed in an effort to make the tablets more difficult to be manipulated for the purpose of misuse and abuse, according to a news release.

Oxycodone is a narcotic frequently used as a pain reliever for the treatment of moderate to severe short-term and long-term pain, as well as palliative care for the terminally ill. It produces an opiate-like effect similar to morphine in all aspects including its abuse and dependence, according to Health Canada.

Oxycontin is an Oxycodone-based prescription drug, and is formulated to release Oxycodone over a long period of time; however, when crushed or chewed and either inhaled by the nose, injected or swallowed, the Oxycodone is released and absorbed rapidly, producing a heroin-like euphoria.

Being able to easily crush, snort or inject the drug is what makes it so attractive to users, GSPS deputy chief Al Lekun said. The new pill won't decompose by being crushed, and it won't provide that same level of satisfaction.

Another reason Oxycontin has become a “drug of choice” is many of its characteristics make it a highly marketable product. It provides the high addicts are craving, is easily transported, easily distributed, and it's very profitable, Lekun said.

Oxyneo is more of a gel-type pill that can't be crushed, said Greater Sudbury Police Service Staff Sgt. Al Asunmaa, but “we've already been hearing on the street that (Oxycontin users) have been trying to effectively be able to get past the time release of the new pill.”

He didn't want to discuss just what methods people are using to get around the time release effect of the pill, because he doesn't want to give any addicts any ideas on how to get their fix.

Oxycontin is definitely a problem in Sudbury, and there's no doubt about that, he said. In fact, Oxycontin addiction was believed to be the driving factor behind the rash of robberies that occurred at local convenience stores and gas bars throughout the city, police believe.

Pills come in various doses, ranging from five milligrams to 80 milligrams, Asunmaa said. The price of each pill depends on supply, but right now, an 80-milligram pill sells for $60 on the streets. Two years ago, a similar pill would sell for $80.

Oxycontin is highly addictive, and addicts have a very difficult time coming down off of that high, Asunmaa said. People with severe addictions take seven to eight pills a day to get the same high as someone with a less-severe addiction, and it affects every facet of their life.

“Quite often, users lose their jobs to their addiction,” he said. “And, that snowballs into everything else, where they have to get into criminal activity to sustain their drug habits.”

Greater Sudbury Police does keep statistics on how much Oxycontin has been seized over the years, and while those numbers weren't readily available to Northern Life, Asunmaa said there is been a “definite increase” in seizures every year.

It goes without saying that police are hopeful that Oxyneo will be effective in stemming the ever-rising tide of Oxycodone addicts, but “the next year or so will tell,” Asunmaa said.

In other media reports, Nishnawbe Aski Nation chief Stan Beardy said thousands of residents of Ontario reserves are addicted to the drug, and is fearful of the what will happen when those addicts start going through withdrawal.

“I've seen first hand the results of people trying to come off of these addictions,” Asunmaa said. (Addicts) become physically ill. I don't know what the effect will be by introducing (Oxyneo), but obviously there are other street drugs that are being purchased to replace Oxycontin.”

Lekun said Greater Sudbury Police Service now needs to prepare itself to tackle what will be used by those individuals in the community who can no longer get their fixes from Oxycontin. Police are conducting research to better understand the market and “stay ahead of the curve.”

“We know there will be a switch to a different substance, and we're prepared to do whatever it takes,” he said.

Drug-related crimes won't stop just because Oxycontin will be off the market, Lekun said. Whether it's heroin, crack or any other drug, that addict needs that next fix, and if they aren't gainfully employed, or they don't have a regular source of cash flow, they have to get the money somewhere.

“We understand that a good percentage of break and enters, thefts, burglaries and robberies are indirectly related to drugs, because addicts need to feed their habit,” he said.

That's why the police service believes that part of dealing with drug-related offences is not only an enforcement perspective, but they also have to deal with the social factors that contribute to the dependence on those substances.

“The prevention side is just as important as the enforcement side, and that's why we rely on the medical community and other partners,” Lekun said. “Maybe, in the long run, it's cheaper to deal with the funding necessary to cure addictions, than it is to having those people in the criminal justice system and incarcerated for years.”

This philosophy resulted in the development of a drug strategy about a year and a half ago that brought to the table the GSPS and other community agencies to address those issues, Lekun said.

Posted by Arron Pickard