Pain Killer: A "Wonder" Drug's Trail of Addiction and Death

The extraordinary and true story of OxyContin, a potent painkiller containing opium-derived oxycodone as its key active ingredient, is revealed in this gripping read.

From the start, the drug's manufacturer aggressively marketed its patented time-release formula as a breakthrough in the effort to reduce prescription drug abuse.

However, it wasn't long before thrill-seeking teenagers shattered that illusion of safety by simply crushing an "Oxy" and tapping into a high so seductive it would come to dominate their lives.

Some patients, seeking relief from pain, also found themselves drawn to the drug's dark side.

This book takes readers on a journey of discovery that begins with the true story of Lindsay, a high-school cheerleader in Virginia who gets hooked on Oxys, and expands outward to explore critical issues of legitimate pain management, prescription drug abuse, and how the misuse of science by the drug industry threatens the public good.

With the fast-rising abuse of prescription drugs by young people ringing alarm bells within government, this book provides a gripping read not only for parents but also for medical professionals, community leaders, business executives, and all those concerned with this crisis.

The dangers described in Pain Killer also reverberate far beyond the threat from a single drug at a particular moment in time.