The number of lifetime non-medical users of the prescription pain reliever OxyContin increased significantly from an estimated 1.9 million in 2002 to 3.1 million in 2004.
The Cambria County Drug Task Force in Pennsylvania reported an increase in the number of pharmacy burglaries in the county as being linked directly to OxyContin abuse.
Long-term use of OxyContin both legitimately and illicitly causes the body to adapt to the presence of the drug and withdrawal symptoms occur if use is reduced or stopped.
The U.S. has recently experienced an increase in the number of marijuana plants which have been destroyed, particularly those being grown on public lands by foreign criminal groups.