Refer to the DEA's own "study" of deaths associated with Oxycontin, specifically.

http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drugs_concern/oxycodone/oxycontin7.htm

Please read the entire article before posting!

According to the article, the DEA requested autopsy reports from medical examiners nationwide that may be associated specifically with single-entity oxycodone (Oxycontin) products.

According to the DEA, some "7,185,000 prescriptions of these single-entity oxycodone products sold in 2000, approximately 5.8 million were for OxyContin®" specifically...the study goes on to say that of the reports received, there were 464 confirmed deaths due to Oxycontin--but it doesn't say whether or not the people who died had a prescription or not. The study was based on time-of-death toxicology reports only, and many people were poly-drug users. It would be safe to assume this report included both people with prescriptions and those who received this drug illicitly.

Do the math...of 7,185,000 prescriptions for this drug, 464 deaths resulted. That's .00645%....do we see a little hype going on here???