Faced with the inability to get legal prescriptions and the prohibitive cost of opioids on the black market, many individuals addicted to prescription painkillers turned to heroin. Heroin offered a much cheaper alternative, costing as little as \$5 per dose, which allowed users to manage their withdrawal symptoms.

Shift from Prescription Opioids to Heroin

As a direct consequence of stricter prescription controls, a black market for opioid medications emerged. This illicit market was characterized by extremely high prices, with a single pill of a drug like OxyContin costing \$80 or more.

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In 2013, the FDA advised implementing stricter regulations on the prescription of opiate drugs. This policy change significantly reduced the ability of many patients, including those who had become addicted, to legally obtain medications like OxyContin.

FDA's 2013 Recommendation on Opioid Prescriptions

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

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