An Island on Painkillers

Staten Island easily topped the rest of the city for persriptions of oxycodone written by doctors in 2009.

What? Staten Island is the least populated borough out of all 5!
Around 115,000 prescriptions where written out last year, just for oxycodones. What the hell is going on? That's more then 2,200 prescriptions filled each week, for just painkillers. Most of the time people are selling them, selling them for a lot of money.

So when do you finally admit you have a problem? What once started out as a Saturday night thing turns into one of those waking up shaking things? When your actually selling possessions that belonged to loved ones and lying to cover your trail. How long do you think before they start to catch on?

This is definitely something that needs to be addressed. Because if you throw in Vicodin on top of just the Oxycodone that adds up to one out of three prescriptions being filled are for painkillers, of the 580,000 total. Even worse is that out of the states 62 counties, Richmond County ranked 2nd for painkiller use. Two years in a row. Its pretty unsettling to think about raising kids around such stupor. Eventually for a lot of people it does become a problem and people do seek help which is a great thing when they step up and admit they are in a bad place. But some don't. They leave behind messes for family to deal with and heart ache with a sense of not understanding exactly when this all began. Sometimes in cases the user moves to heroin. Its cheaper and has pretty much the same exact effect. They can become so desperate to feed the addiction that they sell themselves, and would rather get high then eat anything that they may have to spend the money on. Don't think i know what I'm talking about? Just google it. I know one to many people this is effecting or has effected. People i grew up with, most that I would be devastated to see in such a bad condition. I am not one to judge by all means have your fun, but know when its getting out of control too. Already in 2010 there have been 5 robberies at counters of pharmacy. That makes it pretty unsafe for your tween daughter to get her 1st job at C.V.S.

The Top Sellers:

Staten Island
Oxycodone 114,835 prescriptions, or 23.3 per 100 people
Hydrocodone 96,306 prescriptions, or 19.6 per 100 people
Zolpidem 78,257 prescriptions, or 15.9 per 100 people   

The problem here is the prescriptions, the legal drugs. Funny, pots illegal and really poses no threat to society. I often work in the ER at my job on the 11-7 shift, and wouldn't you know it, i have never seen someone come in overdosing on pot. Just saying. If this is what its like now i would really hate to see where its going to end up. Unless somethings done anyway.




Island teens face future health crisis 

If you or someone you know needs help click here to find a facility.

Alcohol/Drug Abuse Hotline
1-800-662-HELP

Be Sober Hotline
1-800-BE-SOBER

24 Hour Cocaine Hotline
1-800-992-9239 

Drug Help National Helplines
1-800-378-4435

Ecstasy Addiction
1-800-468-6933 

National Institute on Drug Abuse & Alcoholism
1-888-644-6432