According to the FDA, Your Kids Need Oxycontin
Need help? Call our 24/7 helpline. 855-933-3480

According to the FDA, Your Kids Need Oxycontin

0
Share.

On the heels of Hilary Clinton’s announcement of her plan to put $10 billion towards combating drug addiction, Newsweek reported that the FDA approved the prescription of Oxycontin to kids as young as 11. That’s right folks, now your pre-teen hopefully-not-genetically-predisposed-to-addiction child can get access to one of the most powerful prescription narcotics out there, just in time for junior high.

How Bad Is It Really?

Look, I get there are young kids suffering from chronic pain as a result of injuries or disabilities but my God, is it really that bad? I am all for taking advantage of medical advancements but surely children have struggled with these ailments for decades (maybe centuries) without having to face the potential of an opiate addiction before their balls drop? Obviously I can’t claim to know what it’s like to be in severe pain or a parent with a child who is begging me for relief—and I am certainly not a doctor—but I feel strongly that we need to explore the potential issues this new FDA approval presents.

FDA SchmeFDA

First, let me point out that the article is upfront about the fact that Oxycontin, which is extended-release version of oxycodone, has been prescribed off-label to kids for years so it’s not like this new FDA approval will change that. It’s true, as long as there is consent of from a parent or guardian (who we hope are not addicts) kids of all ages are already popping these fierce painkillers with permission from their pediatrician. So why approve it? Do we really need to make it all good for a child to have access to hardcore drugs?

Apparently, the answer is safety. Up until now, there hasn’t been sufficient data on how Oxycontin affects children, even though we have been giving it to them anyway. Now we can all sleep at night because, as it turns out, it’s safe!

Are you f**king kidding me? Oxycontin is far from safe for anyone of any age and the 2.1 million Americans who are struggling with an addiction to prescription painkillers can attest to that. And that is the problem. Other than the horror of kids taking Oxy, the FDA’s sign off feels wholly contradictory to what we are desperate—billion of dollars desperate— to arrest: the opiate addiction epidemic. So how is this happening?

The Bad and The Good

Clinton’s proposal, though a huge step in the right direction and coming from a very good place, is slightly troublesome on it’s own. Her plan, which would allow opiate addicts easier access to Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT), in other words prescriptions for lesser potent opiates, is based on evidence from one specific group: addicts who seek medical treatment for their addiction. All other successfully recovering opiate addicts are not factored to these stats since they chose to remain anonymous (and also why there can be no evidence of the success rate of 12-step).

Regardless, there are some definite good aspects of Clinton’s program; like all first responders will be equipped with Naloxone for overdoses (think what Eric Stoltz did to Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction), which will certainly save a lot of lives in the short term. Whether those lives go on to get clean is a whole other story. And finally, health care providers will be required to undergo training on how to spot potential drug abusers and how to be more cautious when prescribing serious medications. Amen!

Your Head Hurts? Get High

This is especially good news in light of the FDA’s approval since the American Headache Society (yup, that’s a real thing) found that one in six kids who complain of migraines are prescribed opiates as a first-line therapy. Yikes!

That is why sometimes, even with the news of well-funded federal programs, it can still feel like we are taking two steps backwards. How can we be green-lighting Oxycontin for kids, when there is ample evidence that the potential for abuse is high and that abuse of it very often leads to heroin addiction, while also lobbying for fewer prescriptions? Can anyone make sense of this?

Any Questions? Call Now To Speak to a Rehab Specialist
(855) 933-3480
Share.

About Author

Danielle Stewart is a Los Angeles-based writer and recovering comedian. She has written for Showtime, E!, and MTV, as well as print publications such as Us Weekly and Life & Style Magazine. She returned to school and is currently working her way towards a master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. She loves coffee, Law & Order SVU, and her emotional support dog, Benson.