The benefits of Sudbury's economic upturn have been well-documented, but the drawbacks aren't always as easy to see. Greater Sudbury Deputy Police Chief Frank Elsner pointed out in Saturday's Sudbury Star that all that extra cash floating around the city has led to an increase in drug-related crime. (Prostitution is also up.)

It is serious business, since the newest fad -- OxyContin -- is now growing in popularity among young people.

Here are a few numbers to ponder:

The 2007 Ontario Student Drug Use Survey, which questions about 6,000 students across the province, shows that OxyContin -- a pain reliever that can yield the same rush as heroin -- is becoming a force among young people, especially in the North.

For comparison, 24 per cent of high school students in the North admitted having tried cigarettes in the previous year:

80 per cent admitted trying alcohol; 41 per cent have tried marijuana; nine per cent have tried ecstasy; eight per cent have tried cocaine or crack; but a whopping 29 per cent admitted trying to get

high with opioid-based pain relievers -- the category into which OxyContin fits.

Among drug users, Elsner singled out OxyContin as a particular danger, not just for its addictive effects, but because it's typically mixed with other material that may be dangerous to the user. Elsner said charges related to illegal possession of pills such as OxyContin have increased by 70 per cent recently. Part of that is due to increased enforcement, but it is troubling that so many pills destined for illegal use are being found in the city.

Sudbury-based drug and alcohol counsellor Stephanie Keho says OxyContin is the most common addictive drug her agency is seeing right now, and it's being used by all ages.

At $20 to $40 a pill for a 12-hour high, it's relatively cheap for a city flush with cash.

OxyContin was developed in 1995 as a pain reliever with timed-release capabilities. But users have found that crushing the pills and snorting the powder, or mixing it with water and injecting it, negates the timed-release effects, providing a euphoric high. Like other drugs, it takes more of it to produce the same effect over time, so addicts become more and more dependent.

And those who inject face the same risks heroin users who inject do, including HIV and hepatitis.

Parents who grew up in the 1970s, whose children are now in high school, might not be as familiar with the symptoms of addiction to pain relief pills as they might be to marijuana, alcohol and even cocaine. But OxyContin is something else.

In 2005 -- when OxyContin's prevalence was becoming more evident -- a report released by the OxyContin/Narcotic Abuse Task Force set up in Sudbury reported that the emergency department at St. Joseph's hospital was seeing cases of addicts threatening suicide if they didn't get the drug.

Those who take too much and overdose can suffer extreme sleepiness and slow breathing that can lead to brain damage or death.

Those who don't get their fix begin to show withdrawal symptoms, including constipation, swelling, nausea, sweating, itching and sleepiness.

The drug is readily available in schools, the Ontario survey shows more than 10 per cent of students said OxyContin was easy to acquire.

As well, 31 per cent of students reported someone had tried to sell them drugs at school.

OxyContin is not a drug that leaves a telltale odour. Parents must be vigilant and attentive to the attitudes and habits of their children to ensure they are spared its awful addictive effects.