Is the Removal of OxyContin from Canadian Shelves a Good Idea?

This article came out today "OxyContin will soon be pulled from Canadian pharmacies." Right off the bat you would think this is good news because a lot of people are addicted to Oxy, and it has ruined a number of lives. However, something to consider is that all these people who are addicted to Oxy, soon won't be able to get access to their fix...That creates a void, a void that needs to be filled by something else to take the pain away.



So, what options do these people have? Kick Oxy cold turkey and have perhaps the worst time of your life detoxing or take up something like heroin or cocaine or whatever just to alleviate the pain?

The article does state that: "Purdue Pharma, the company that manufacturers OxyContin, is set to replace the controversial medication with a new formulation of the drug called OxyNEO at the end of February. The new drug is formulated in such a way that it is more difficult to crush, and therefore less likely to be abused through injecting or snorting."

This makes me think that its a step in the right direction, attempting to allow people who actually NEED the drug to still get it legally while hopefully preventing abusers from continuing their habit. However, if there's one thing I've learned about people who do illegal activities, its that they will ALWAYS find a way. Whether its getting and doing drugs, or pirating movies...People will find a way. So, this OxyNEO provides me little belief it will curb the addiction problem.

Many people think this is going to be a good thing and it will help to remove some problems associated with the drug. I however, think this could create an even larger problem.
If your town is infested with snakes and you bring in gorillas to kill them off...Then you're stuck with gorillas.