FDA Criticized Over Failure to Impose Control Over Second Most Abused Drug

The Food and Drug Administration and the Drug Enforcement Administration in the US have come under fire after continuing delay in tightening their hold on the narcotic drug hydrocodone even though it has become the second most abused drug in the country. Both the organizations have put off the decision since 1999 as to whether hydrocodone-containing medicines should be bumped from Schedule III category to Schedule II which will give the feds more control over the rapid abuse of the drug.

The number of emergency hospital visits for non-medical hydrocodone use has increased by nearly 350 percent, up from 19,221 to 86,258, between 2000 to 2009. A number of high profile celebrities such as Heath Ledger, Brittany Murphy and Corey Haim have overdosed on cocktails of medicines that included hydrocodone.

Source-Medindia