James Barrett, PhD

Finally, the plague of Oxycontin abuse and addiction is getting attention in Massachusetts. I have worked with a number of young men who first tried Oxycontin to numb the pain of a break up or escape family and school stress.  Because Oxycontin or OC comes in pill form it does not have the stigma of injecting heroin, but it is and opiate and highly addictive, just like heroin.  I agree with the recommendations in the report, especially increasing the number of “sober high schools” and cracking down on prescription policies. I would add, however, that if you have ever tried to get a teen into rehab for OC addiction you know how frustrating the process can be.  Detoxing from opiates without medical care is not only painful (e.g., nausea, sweating, diarrhea) it can also be dangerous.  If we are going to get serious about helping teens get clean from OC, we need to increase access to detox facilities.  Additionally, those facilities need to be linked to outpatient supports so that when these teens come out clean they stay clean.