This week we are going to clear up some questions submitted by you, Denise’s listeners , regarding the soon to be released new opiate pain drug, Zohydro and the controversy surrounding it. Denise will be speaking with Dr. Andrew Kolodny, a physician who heads the organization PROP (Physicians for Responsible Opiate Prescribing). The interview covers the escalation of abuse of prescription opiates over the past 15-20 years, the ways people become addicted to them and why, how they can be abused other than just taking more than prescribed orally, and who is included in this “new face of addiction”. They will also discuss the sequence of release of the drug, Oxycontin and how the formulas were changed over time to, theorhetically, make safer and more difficult to abuse. Also, there will be some talk about the rules and regulations and definitions of “Pill Mills” and what has been happening with them over the years. Then they will focus on the controversy over the release of a new, very potent and addictive opiate about to be released this month, Zohydro.

Dr. Kolodny gives Denise and her listeners suggestions about actions they can take to make a difference in this (including participating in a rally in Washington D.C. in September called the Fed Up Rally) and also encouragement to all of the small groups formed and that continue form to band together and make an even bigger difference.