The FDA Just Approved OxyContin to Be Prescribed to ChildrenBy Josh Mur For those unfamiliar, OxyContin is an opiate-based pharmaceutical painkiller used to ease severe pain. Aside from being known for its powerful effects on users, it is also notorious for its widespread abuse. Its effects on the mind and body are strikingly similar to heroin, making it dangerously addictive. It typically contains anywhere between 40-160 milligrams of OxyCodone, the active painkiller in OxyContin and the alternative name for Vicodin, which lasts around 12 hours thanks to its extended release. However, abusers generally crush the pills to inhale or inject them with a syringe by mixing it with water, thus receiving a dose that is meant to stretch over a 12-hour span almost instantly. After an abandoned study in 2004 due to an apparent lack of monetary resources, the FDA announced that pediatric studies on the effects of OxyContin would be underway in order to establish whether or not this pharmaceutical version of heroin should be available for children. After a very short period of trials and research, the FDA has concluded that 3 years is enough time to evaluate the long-term effects of extended use of a highly potent drug in children. Keep in mind that the FDA is the same government organization that has lumped marijuana and psilocybin mushrooms into the same category as Schedule 1 narcotics with zero medicinal value and heightened potential for abuse (because we all know a handful of people addicted to psychedelic mushrooms, right?). One of the most blatant problems with this new allowance is that opiate addiction itself has become one of the most pressing health crisis of modern times. In 2010 alone, 16,651 people died from opiate overdoses making up 60% of all overdose deaths. Prescription drug overdoses are now responsible for more deaths than all illegal drug overdoses combined. Another recent study has shown that 4 out of 5 new heroin addicts initially became addicted from using prescription opiates. One cant help but ask whether or not prescribing children OxyContin will lead to heroin addiction at an earlier age. This is just the latest move which allows for the mass (over)medication Americas youth. As we reported last year, at least 10,000 toddlers are now prescribed amphetamine-based ADHD drugs in the U.S. Ironically, despite the fact that marijuana and heroin are all considered to lack any acceptable medicinal value, both of them have synthetic pharmaceutical versions available to patients. For example, Marinol and Cesamet are pharmaceutical drugs that are readily available typically to cancer patients. The irony is in the fact that these drugs are literally modeled from active ingredients in marijuana. On the other hand, we have the drug of discussion, OxyContin, which, as stated earlier, is modeled around heroin itself. There is clearly either a major conflict of interest, unfathomable stupidity, or perhaps both. Regardless of the motive behind these contradictions, the message is clear: these regulators have proven themselves unfit to handle this sort of responsibility. Even considering the fact that children will have to undergo a more extensive evaluation than adults to obtain a prescription, these methods and regulations are supported by the imbeciles responsible for the clear absurdities stated above. Furthermore, does not the FDAs refusal to recognize the inefficiency in their own approved medications and ignore the success of alternative medicine imply that theyre guilty of more ignorance than meets the eye? Health is not a monopoly, it is a state of well being. The fact that we have corporations and organizations who immensely benefit from the sales of medication implies two things. First, illness and injury are key components in the demand for sales, manufacturing, and further development of medicine, creating a clear conflict of interest between the physical and mental well-being of American citizens and the financial well-being of Big Pharma. Second, it implies that the FDAs evaluation methods are not nearly efficient enough to safely decide whether or not certain chemicals should be available for human consumption. This is why a naturally occurring chemical like psilocybin, which is proven to have not only psychological benefits, but physical benefits as well, is considered illegal in the United States. Does the FDA need to reevaluate its infrastructure? Do you think it is OK to prescribe children highly addictive medication? Lend us your thoughts. Josh Mur writes for theAntiMedia.org. Anti-Media Radio airs weeknights at 11pm Eastern/8pm Pacific. If you spot a typo, email edits@theantimedia.org. Josh Mur joined Anti-Media as an independent journalist in January of 2015. His topics of interest include culture, alternative medicine, and government corruption. He currently resides in Sacramento, California, where he was born and raised. Learn more about Mur here! In 2005 I was prescribed Oxy for severe neck pain and was thrilled I finally found something that took care of that pain. Then I found out what it was. It took me 3 years to wean myself off of it. Ive now been off of it for another 3 years. Im only glad I was taking the minimum dose of 10 mg 2 times a day. My doctor wanted me to go higher but I didnt like how it made me feel. I cant imagine how anyone can function on 160 mg a day. https://i.imgur.com/b4LHM3k.png Just unbelievable theyd want to turn children in to addicts to fuel their school to prison pipeline . Just evil Vitamin C attaches to the same receptor sites in the brain as opiate drugs and can be used to break opiate addictions. There are numerous studies about this. Thank you for the useful information. Will file it. Recently had unrelated medical issue. Nurse suggested consuming more vitamin C to help reduce or altogether cease the issue. Seems to have helped thus far. Nurses also taught me via four days of chiding, fiber, fiber, fiber. It helps avoid crashing from diverticulitis. Thats just sooo wrong, its unbelievable. The FDA has always been a terrible agency, and just continues to get worse. Indoctrinating Children one FDA Approval at a time. Oh wow! Thanks yet again. Your article is chock full of errors. Vicodin is the brand name for Hydrocodone and Tylenol, like Percocet is Oxycodone and Tylenol. The FDA approved this for children who are burn victims and have cancer pain That medications such as Percocet or Vicodin would cause serious liver damage due to the amount of tylenol. This medication is for chronic pain, not acute. With the DEA cracking down on Drs over prescribing pain medication like OxyContin only kids who really need this medication would receive it and that ones that do need it deserve relief. You are spreading fear on a topic you clearly didnt research. 