"OxyContin abuse with students in general and those on campus is something that will probably continue. It's not the No. 1 drug problem, but its rising," he said. "I'm not sure about other universities, but I think prescription drug abuse is something that transcends borders as it becomes more popular."

The effects of prescriptive painkillers

Wayne Foster, a pharmacist at The Boalsburg Apothecary, 3901 S. Atherton St., said OxyContin and similar pain relievers are often prescribed for chronic pain, especially back pain and sometimes for the pain related to terminal cancer.

When swallowed whole as intended, OxyContin and similar time-released pain relievers release the drug over a 12-hour period. But when crushed, snorted or injected by drug abusers the body gets 12 hours of medicine all at once, said Ed Bisch, a Philadelphia-based anti-abuse activist whose son died of an OxyContin overdose in 2001.

OxyContin, like heroin and other opiates, has many side effects and can become dangerous when users stop taking the drug and begin experiencing withdrawal symptoms. Abusers experience flu-like symptoms as well as insomnia and involuntary twitching.

"John," a 21-year-old student at St. Bonaventure University in New York, who "bumps" OxyContin and similar pain relievers, agreed to speak under the condition of anonymity. He said the most common after-effect he experiences is sinus problems such as nosebleeds and compared an OxyContin or Vicodin high to the feelings associated with cocaine. It made him feel "mellow," he said.

As with heroin, dependence on OxyContin and other pain relievers can be difficult to overcome, Bisch said.

"It is very hard but not impossible," he said. "A lot of factors can go into it and like some heroin users, those who become dependant on prescription drugs never beat it or need to go to methadone maintenance. It is as hard as heroin to stop using."

For those looking for help with addiction, Dr. Margaret Spear, director of University Health Services (UHS), suggested seeing an addiction specialist or a physician at UHS, or enrolling in local counseling services. Bisch also recommended visiting his Web site, at www.oxyabusekills.com, which includes testimonials from users who beat their addictions, as well as help centers that users can contact.

How do abusers obtain these drugs?

Penn State police have learned of ways that abusers can obtain prescription drugs, Moerschbacher said. In the past, police have seen instances of drug store robberies, but more commonly the drugs are obtained by stealing prescriptions from legitimate patients or from patients themselves selling their extra pills.

To avoid prescriptive medicine falling into the wrong hands pills must be disposed of. However, pharmacists acknowledge that it may be easier said than done, Foster said.

"Disposal of medication is a tricky thing. There are no great ways to dispose of it and the toilet isn't a really good answer," he said.

When pharmacies have medicines that go out of date, Foster said they must be sent away to be incinerated and it is quite costly to send medications to disposals.

"John" said that many abusers obtain the drug because it's cheap and easily accessible from someone with a prescription, and for only a few dollars. He further explained that in most cases, people who are prescribed these pain relievers end up with more medication than they need. In his experience, oral surgeons will prescribe too many painkillers and those extras can surface at a party.

Those involved in the drug trade could obtain and distribute large quantities of these drugs and sell them quite easily, Moerschbacher said, especially in places where there is a large market for not only prescription drugs, but also for heroin.

Scott Merrill, coordinator of the Centre County Drug Task Force, said Altoona and Johnstown, both comparable in size to State College, have far worse prescription drug abuse problems. In actuality, statistics show the presence of a large university like Penn State has little to do with the amounts of prescription drugs abused, he said.

Both Merrill and Moerschbacher said the police always investigate any complaints of abuse or diverting of prescription drugs.

What's being done to counter the trend?

Penn State police are trying to reduce the amount of prescription drug abuse seen in Centre County.

"We look at all drugs as a problem here at Penn State. As a police department we are limited to education and enforcement," Moerschbacher said. "We try to educate the student body about the side effects of drug abuse and with enforcement we take action when we find drugs."

In an attempt to counter the trend of abuse, doctors are prescribing OxyContin and similar pain relievers less often not only because the pills end up on the streets, but also because addiction can become a problem with well-established patients too, Foster said.

"Today there are more alternatives being used and there are better drugs, like morphine, which has fewer side effects and works just as well, if not better, than OxyContin," he said.

Similarly, UHS has never prescribed OxyContin, and it is very uncommon for any similar drugs to be dispensed at Ritenour, Spear said.

Foster said doctors and pharmacies are developing counter-measures to prevent abuse. Some drug companies are also experimenting with preventative measures to stop profit loss as a result of doctors prescribing less of the pain medications.

"Lots of things have changed since [OxyContin] became more popular. Doctors are scrutinizing patients and pharmacies are watching their prescription stores and are making sure prescriptions are legitimate," he said. "Drug companies are experimenting with tamper-resistant pills that cannot be crushed and be effective, but they are not available yet. Obviously, they are losing sales as less doctors are prescribing the drug so they want to find ways to bring back sales."

If the prescription slip has an unreasonable quantity prescribed, the pharmacy must check with the doctor to make sure it is legitimate, Foster said.

Even with these measures, prescription drugs are getting into the hands of drug abusers. Mike was introduced to the drugs by friends and acquaintances, and was not concerned with the risks involved with taking the drug. He further explained that he was not as concerned because it was pharmaceutical, and he perceived it as safe.

Moerschbacher, however, said the misconception of safety that often exists with prescription painkillers, is a dangerous one.

"I think sometimes people think it's safer because it's a prescription drug," he said, "but there is a big difference between taking a dose of medicine and poisoning yourself with the medication."

Various takes on OxyContin...

Parents

"This is a serious thing and not many beat [OxyContin] on their own...professional help is usually needed, but like heroin, it is hard to beat and relapse is common or the price of these drugs eventually leads people to using heroin." -- Ed Bisch, founder of www.oxyabusekills.com

Police

"When you look at the personal level, OxyContin abuse is devastating. I mean, obviously, it can kill people, but it is socially expensive in that with students it and any drug abuse can lead to lost productivity as a student and can lead to absenteeism." -- Bill Moerschbacher, Penn State Police Services Supervisor

"It is a very dangerous drug, people are becoming addicted and are dying. Where these drugs are abused, we see theft and armed robbery-we certainly don't want to see that around here." -- Scott Merrill, Narcotics Agent and Director of the Centre County Drug Task Force

Doctors

"We certainly see students who abuse drugs and we do not refer them to the police, we simply try to refer them to the proper treatment services. This is a very important point, health care providers will not report users seeking help, its our job to get them the treatment they need." -- Dr. Margaret Spear, Director of University Health Services

Pharmacists

"The people who have chronic pain need something and its not those people using these drugs right that's the problem, it's the people abusing them illegitimately." -- Wayne Foster, Pharmacist, The Boalsburg Apothecary

Drug Users

"Students are getting these drugs because they are cheap. People get them from somebody who had a prescription and they can buy the bottle off them for a few dollars." -- John, user