She didn t want to feel left out. Summer took two oxy pills and passed out. Shana took even more, and died. Shana s death showed that oxy had arrived in the Bay area as a dangerous recreational drug. OxyContin should be used to fight extreme pain.
Doctors commonly prescribe it to cancer patients as an alternative to morphine.
The drug is addictive, expensive, and when misused, it can be lethal. Dennie says oxy is becoming the drug of choice among teens in north Pinellas County. Records show the number of arrests involving this drug are climbing annually, from just six in 1994 to 73 last year. Investigators say kids and drug addicts buy the pills from dealers, who usually get the OxyContin by forging prescriptions. Oxy abuse is becoming an epidemic in several rural states.