WAISMANN METHOD® Director Warns Prescription Painkiller Addiction Epidemic May Continue

New Figures Show Dramatic Rise in Oxycodone and Hydrocodone Distribution in Last Decade

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Apr 05, 2012, 08:00 ET

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., April 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- According to recent figures released by the Associated Press (AP), sales of oxycodone and hydrocodone increased dramatically between 2000 and 2010, and distribution of those painkillers has exploded in new parts of the country. Administrative director for WAISMANN METHOD® rapid detox treatment and registered addiction specialist, Clare Waismann, is cautioning Americans that this report provides evidence of a prescription painkiller dependency epidemic that will continue to grow unless humane and successful treatments for opiate detoxification are made more accessible to patients across the nation.

"This AP report illustrates how the popularity and overuse of prescription painkillers is spreading across the country at a very rapid rate," said Waismann. "In many parts of the country, there are too few treatment facilities that treat oxycodone and hydrocodone addiction for the number of patients who need help. It's unsettling to think of how many people have become dependent on these drugs and are unable to find help; unfortunately they end up continuing the cycle of addiction or even overdose. In order to help curb this epidemic, effective treatment options should be made more widely available, however physicians and policymakers can also do their part by writing prescriptions more responsibly and supporting a national drug monitoring program to help eliminate doctor shopping and widespread abuse."

The AP analysis, which used data collected quarterly by the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) Automation of Reports and Consolidation Orders System, showed that the distribution of oxycodone, the key ingredient in Oxycontin and Percocet, has grown by as much as sixteen-fold in some regions. Similarly, the sale of hydrocodone, the key ingredient in Vicodin, has also increased significantly throughout the Midwest and Appalachia. The report also noted that in 2010, pharmacies nationwide received and dispensed enough pure oxycodone and hydrocodone to give every person in the U.S. 40 5 mg pills of Percocet and 24 5 mg pills of Vicodin.

According to the same data released by the AP, there is also a correlation between increased sales and overdose deaths. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed that opioid painkillers were responsible for 14,800 deaths in 2008, and the death toll continues to rise. During the decade, most of Tennessee saw sales of oxycodone per capita increase approximately six-fold, while parts of New Mexico experienced ten-fold increases in oxycodone sales and five-fold increase in hydrocodone sales. Florida also saw a spike in distribution of the drugs, which stems from "pill mills" throughout the state.

For more information about WAISMANN METHOD® treatment please visit opiates.com. For interviews contact Nicolette Surh at 877-975-3423 or send an email to Nicolette(at)rkpr(dot)net.

About WAISMANN METHOD® Treatment

WAISMANN METHOD® rapid opiate detoxification treatment is a safe and proven protocol for opiate dependency that utilizes the most advanced medical techniques available. The rapid opiate detoxification treatment is carried out in a full-service hospital in Southern California by board-certified anesthesiologists while patients remain under deep sedation, so they experience minimal conscious withdrawal or suffering. Following medical treatment, patients are taken to Domus Retreat for an assessment to determine any underlying causes of dependency, and a customized aftercare plan is assigned to ensure a healthy and effective transition to life without opiates. WAISMANN METHOD® patients achieve an extraordinarily high success rate because they no longer fight the constant physical cravings for opiates that have led them to relapse in the past. For more information, please visit opiates.com.

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