Oxycontin Our Favorite

There are statistics and then there are statistics. Because we are a smaller state, we sometimes take it on the chin simply because we have fewer residents. Not so with a statistic that showed up in the Huffington Post. The claim, backed up by Reuters, is that Maine leads the nation in patients getting treatment for Oxycontin addiction. And that's per capita.

A consequence of this larger pool of users means pharmacy robberies are up in the state. It's no surprise they are after "Oxy."

Yesterday, Maine and New Hampshire police announced the arrest of four people involved in robberies in both states, again, to get Oxycontin. In Sanford, Maine, a woman said she had a gun and demanded the narcotic.

Oxycontin addiction has some features that make robbery an option for addicts. The first is the price -- single tablets can go for as much as $100. But the real problem for those who have become tolerant to the drug (and need more) is that it is only available through legitimate manufacturing sources. That means that pills available on the street started off in the medical supply chain.

So in the mixed up mind of an addict, it seems logical to go to the source of supply, a pharmacy, and do your shopping with a gun. That makes this addiction of ours pretty dangerous -- more so than for cheap drugs where supply isn't a problem.

There are out of state sources -- Florida is a notable one. However, as other states crack down on pill mills and do a better job of tracking where the narcotic is going, there will be less available for illegal users.

The statistic isn't all bad however. Having the most patients in treatment at least means there is treatment available and some are being helped. That's a plus.