OxyContin painkillers have been used for many years and have been beneficial to many. But the one that has recently taken over the market has been the subject of much controversial discussion. Oxycodone has always been used in modern medicine, but in small quantities. OxyContin contained a higher amount of oxycodone than most opiate painkillers, the lowest dose of OxyContin contained double the amount found in said painkillers (Meier 12). This has led to the spread of drug abuse and addiction. And a drug designed to do nothing but help has become the subject of overdose and death. The creation of OxyContin was a triumph for modern medicine and a halo of light for people suffering from chronic pain, but the drug now appears to carry a trail of addiction and abuse. Certainly, opioid-based painkillers like OxyContin have been invented and used for centuries. It was Hippocrates who first used opioids as medicine. He used opium to relieve pain caused by internal illnesses, such as "female diseases" (Blachford and Krapp). But over time, chemists were able to separate and isolate more compounds from the opium plant, such as the chemical thebaine, the main substance used to make oxycodone (Meier 57). Oxycodone is the chemical in OxyContin that gives it pain-relieving effects. It was developed in Germany around 1916 and labeled it as Eukodal (Blachford and Krapp). From there, the FDA first approved the use of oxycodone in 1976 (Blachford and Krapp). Then, in 1996, a drugmaker named Purdue Frederick began selling oxycodone under the brand name OxyContin. In order to sell the drug, he opened a special unit known as Purdue Pharma (Meier 12). After its release in 1996 it became very simple, the purpose of OxyContin was to do nothing other than help people stop suffering from pain. It is capable of relieving many pains and it was favored because it is derived from opium. The only problem is that it is more addictive and has more side effects than anyone could have imagined. However, it was not as much innovation as people thought. The drug caused many addiction-related side effects and overdoses. In all honesty and in my opinion, I think the chemical Oxycodone is safe in small doses, but if that painkiller is OxyContin, nothing but trouble will surely ensue. The drug was designed for good, but the harms outweighed it a million to one. The creation of OxyContin was a triumph for modern medicine and a halo of light for people suffering from chronic pain, but the drug now appears to bring with it a trail of addiction and abuse.