More former OxyContin users turning to heroin

OxyContin and other prescription drugs have grown in popularity over the past decade, but the rising price of the substance has many addicts looking for new ways to get high. Heroin has become a drug of choice for many prescription drug addicts, which allegedly offers the same high.

In Oregon, the price of heroin has dropped in comparison to OxyContin, according to The World Newspaper. As a result, more former OxyContin users have begun centering their lives around heroin. Approximately 60 people in Coos County will find themselves on the street, looking for the substance to get high, according to local authorities.

Toby Floyd, the head of a local drug treatment center, told the news source that heroin has always been OxyContin's second cousin. While one OxyContin tablet costs about $60, a tenth of a gram of heroin sells for approximately $25. In 2010, the Food and Drug Administration also approved a change in the prescription drug that makes it more difficult to extract its active ingredients.

Drug addiction costs the U.S. more than $484 billion every year, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Drug rehab programs can help individuals suffering from substance dependency over time.