OxyContin Warning

86 去痛片须慎用

DATE=8-16-01
TITLE=SCIENCE REPORT - OxyContin Warning
BYLINE=Jerilyn Watson

（Start at 1'02"） This is Bill White with the VOA Special English SCIENCE REPORT.
The federal government and manufacturers of the drug OxyContin have increased warnings about its use.  (1)Directions on the containers of the pain-killing medicine are being changed.  They now must include a warning that the effects of OxyContin are like (2)morphine, another drug that fights pain. 
The warning also must say that (3)misusing the drug can kill.  Law-enforcement officials say misuse¹ of OxyContin is linked to as many as one-hundred deaths.
The new warning labels also carry the message that only some patients should take OxyContin. The drug is meant for people suffering (4)moderate to severe pain over extended periods.  A doctor must write an order for this (5)medicine. 
Doctors say people can become physically² dependent on OxyContin.  People can suffer from withdrawal³ problems if they cannot get it.  (6)Drugstore owners report that people are stealing the drug from their stores.  (7)Illegal drug dealers⁴ are selling OxyContin on the streets.
OxyContin pills contain the pain-killing substance oxycodone.  OxyContin can release oxycodone over a twelve-hour period.  Taken correctly, an OxyContin pill is (8)swallowed whole.  However, an increasing number of people are (9)crushing OxyContin into powder.  They breathe the (10)powder in, or force it through the skin with a needle.  These methods release the effects of the medicine at one time.  This results in a temporary feeling of happiness similar to the effect of the illegal drug, (11)heroin.
The company Purdue Pharma of Stamford, Connecticut began selling the drug in Nineteen-Ninety-Six.  Many doctors praise its effectiveness in treating cancer, severe burns and other painful conditions.
Yet protests against misuse of the drug are spreading.  So is legal action against Purdue Pharma and a company it works with, Abbott Laboratories in Chicago.  For example, West Virginia began legal cases against the two companies in June.  The state accuses them of helping⁵ cause misuse of the drug by using aggressive sales methods. 
A Purdue (12)spokesman said the company has stopped selling OxyContin pills that contain large amounts of the drug.  He said Purdue has warned doctors about the drug in several ways.  He also says the company has spent millions to dollars to research pain-killers that could not be easily misused⁶. 
This VOA Special English Science Report was written by Jerilyn Watson.

(1)  direction [di5rekFEn, dai5rekFEn] n. 方向, 指导, 趋势, (常用复数)指示, 用法, 说明(书), 收件人地址
(2)  morphine [mR:fi:n] n. 吗啡
(3) misuse [5mis5ju:z] v. 误用, 错用, 滥用, 虐待; n. 误用, 错用, 滥用, 误用之实例
(4) moderate [mRd[r[t] adj. 中等的, 适度的, 适中的; v. 缓和
(5) medicine [medisn] n. 药, 医学, 内科学, 内服药; vt. 给...用药
(6) drugstore [drQgstC:] n. <美> 药房, 杂货店
(7) illegal [i'li:g[l]adj. 违法的, 不合规定的
(8) swallow [swRl[J] vt. 咽, 淹没, 吞没, 取消, 忍受, 轻信, 压制, 耗尽; vi. 吞下, 咽下
(9)   crush [krQF] vt. 压碎, 碾碎, 压服, 压垮, 粉碎, (使)变形
(10)  powder [paJd[] n. 粉, 粉末, 火药, 尘土; vt. 搽粉于, 撒粉, 使成粉末
(11) heroin [her[Jin] n. 海洛因, 吗啡
(12) spokesman [sp[Jksm[n] n. 发言人, 代表者

 

 

 

1 misuse   

n.误用，滥用；vt.误用，滥用

参考例句：

• It disturbs me profoundly that you so misuse your talents.你如此滥用自己的才能，使我深感不安。
• He was sacked for computer misuse.他因滥用计算机而被解雇了。

2 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

3 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

4 dealers   

n.商人( dealer的名词复数 )；贩毒者；毒品贩子；发牌者

参考例句：

• There was fast bidding between private collectors and dealers. 私人收藏家和交易商急速竞相喊价。
• The police were corrupt and were operating in collusion with the drug dealers. 警察腐败，与那伙毒品贩子内外勾结。

5 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

6 misused   

v.使用…不当( misuse的过去式和过去分词 )；把…派作不正当的用途；虐待；滥用

参考例句：

• He misused his dog shamefully. 他可耻地虐待自己的狗。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He had grossly misused his power. 他严重滥用职权。 来自《简明英汉词典》