USERS "doctor shopping" for an addictive prescription drug dubbed "hillbilly heroin" are creating a breeding ground for criminal activity, according to police.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
In the wake of a region-wide crackdown on ice, Oxycontin, a prescription opioid, is emerging as a new drug of choice because it’s so readily available.
Detective Inspector Paul Smith, Griffith crime manager, said Oxycontin was a “constant worry” for officers at the coalface.
“The problems certainly aren't limited to ice,” he said.
“We've had significant issues (with Oxy) over many years and we've identified a strong correlation between property crime and Oxycontin. From our intel and detections, Oxycontin is still a major concern."
The rise of the deadly prescription drug has seen an increased number of addicts present to the Calvary Riverina Drug and Alcohol Centre.
“Prescription opioid users are rising,” manager Brendan McCorry said. “There is usually criminal activity involved if you belong to a group of people who use for non-medical reasons.”
Mr McCorry said prescription opioids like Oxycontin and Fentanyl were a cheaper and more accessible alternative to heroin, with most addicts who present for treatment buying it on the streets.
A person can sell one tablet for $50 on the black market, making up to $1000 off one prescription.
NSW Ambulance Service's Murrumbidgee zone duty operations manager Eamonn Purcell said hillbilly heroin was closely associated with ice because amphetamine users usually used Oxycontin to come down.
Tumut ambulance driver John Larter said Oxycontin was an issue, but all ambulances carried a drug to reverse the side effects similar to those caused from heroin.