Death by Overdose Doubled in Five Years - 'Hillbilly Heroin' Named As One Culprit

With prescription pain killers being given out like candy, it’s no surprise that deaths by accidental overdose have doubled in the past five years. Although not the only culprit, OxyContin - known as Hillbilly Heroin on the street - has been named as one of the drugs contributing significantly to this alarming trend.

According to Dr. Anne Marie McKenzie-Brown, a pain medicine expert at Atlanta’s Emory Crawford Long Hospital, “There is a misperception that because a drug is a prescription medicine, it’s safe to use for non-medical reasons. And clearly that is not true.”