There have been numerous reports of heroin users switching to Opana because they can achieve an even more intense high on this prescription opioid than they could on heroin.
Opioids are synthetic versions of opium which are commonly administered to treat moderate and severe pain and individuals in the U.S. use 80 percent of the global supply of these types of prescription drugs.
Typical street names for OxyContin are OCs, ox, and oxy, 40 (a 40-milligram tablet), 80 (an 80-milligram tablet), Blue, Hillbilly heroin and Kicker.
Opioids are the most common category of prescription drugs abused in the U.S., comprising about 75 percent of the prescription drug abuse problem.