OXYCONTIN-TYPE DRUGS CAUSE MORE DEATHS IN STATE

Florida Sees Sharp Increase, But The Big Bend Up By Only
One

The number of people dying in Florida after abusing oxycodone or
hydrocodone - two popular prescription drugs - soared in the first
half of the year, according to a report prepared by the state's
medical examiners.

In the Big Bend, however, deaths involving those drugs increased to
two in January-June 2001, from only one in the second half of last
year.

And fatalities blamed on cocaine, heroin, methamphetamines and other
illegal drugs either dropped or stayed the same when compared with the
past six months of 2000.

The Florida Medical Examiners Commission's report, "Drugs Identified
in Deceased Persons," said deaths caused by lethal amounts of
oxycodone and/or hydrocodone increased from 152 to 217 - a jump of 43
percent.

Of those 217 deaths, 23 people had lethal doses of both oxycodone and
hydrocodone present. Accordingly, there were 165 lethal occurrences of
oxycodone and 75 lethal occurrences of hydrocodone, which accounts for
240 occurrences altogether.

The medical examiner for the 2nd District, which includes Gadsden,
Jefferson, Leon and Wakulla counties, reported two deaths in the first
six months of this year where either oxycodone or hydrocodone was
present in the body.

For July-December 2000, that office reported one death where either
oxycodone or hydrocodone was the cause.

OxyContin - of which oxycodone is the active ingredient - is the
nation's top-selling narcotic painkiller, and hydrocodone is its
chemical cousin. It is a 12-hour, time-released medication meant for
sufferers of severe chronic pain.

Addicts crush the tablets to circumvent the time release designed to
provide long-lasting pain control. The powder is injected or snorted
for a quick high.

"Unfortunately, not just our state, but our nation as a whole is
experiencing an increase in deaths related to oxycodone and
hydrocodone," Commissioner Tim Moore said. "This report should draw
our attention to those drugs which are not the traditional problems in
the state of Florida."

As for illegal drugs, that problem appears to have recently leveled
off.

The number of deaths in which heroin was found in the body dropped 2.7
percent, from 150 to 146, when compared with the same six-month period
a year ago. The presence of cocaine in fatalities also fell slightly,
dropping from 508 to 499.