not sure what kind of "peeps" you're hanging out with...I can't imagine knowing alot of people who are on oxycontin at all, given the difficulty in getting it, largely because of the many exagerated, unfounded and undocumented/un-quantified (ill-quantified?) "reports" of it's abuse. I do, personally, know 2 other people who are on it, and I take it, so I can speak from experience...I've been on the same dose for 2 years, 20mg every 12 hours. My PM doc would increase it if I needed (actually he recently did...up to 60 mg q 12 hrs and offered to increase it further if I needed it, following a very difficult spinal surgery, I declined and am back down to my original dose), and despite it's purported "highly addictive" nature, I've managed to stay on this dose. Of the other 2 people I know who take it, one has increased his dosage twice, over the course of about 18 months. From an original dose of 10mg q 12 hrs, up to 20 mg q 12 hrs and now up to 40 mg q 12 hrs. He has a progressive condition, and the physician attributes this very MINOR increase to the progression of his disease process. All three of us are on very low doses of this highly addictive, much abused drug..according to the physician treating us and according to the Purdue pharmacuetical reps I had the pleasure of talking to at a convention recently. You say you believe the majority of the users of this pill are abusers, why? Can you give us some research....studies...valid literature in medical journals? Or have you too fallen victim to the media and the government? My intent is not to disrespect you in anyway...you have a right to your opinion...but I wish people, especially people who have some experience with chronic pain would at the bare minimum attempt to look at this issue in the light of facts, after studying valid literature backed by research. What this evil pill did for me, and for the other 2 people I know who are taking it, and to the many whose letters I got to read courtesy Purdue Pharmaceuticals (their personal id info was deleted, so no laws were broken..with the exception of surprisingly about 60% who ASKED to have their ID'/ info left on their letters and to which I added a letter to with MY IDing info on it) this evil pill gave me my life back. I went from someone who hadn't worked in 7 months, and whose doctor was suggesting file for SSI disability (at 41 years of age!) to working 40-70 hrs a week. I went from spending days in bed back to cleaning my house, gardening, hiking, jetskiing, I became a normal person. Life isn't perfect, I do take break through meds, usually with increased activity or when working long hours, but you'd think by now I'd be injecting the stuff the way it's constantly portrayed....hope this gives a different view--arab & lumbar, excellent well thought out points, as usual