Michael, your last sentence was cut short.

awesome, now I know all the street names..

They are never actually serious about public Michael.
Its all about more money.

Well it’s certainly sad, but not surprising.

Another reason why MySpace becomes less and less relevant. It can’t function solely as an advertising platform. They should be focusing on reducing the spam element within their community, not enhancing it!

“The availability of this site comes at a perfect time considering the rate of prescription painkiller abuse has seen a drastic spike in recent years, particularly among the demographic of teens and young adults (16 – 25 years old) that utilize MySpace.”

I work in marketing, so I can translate this to English (apparently this company’s own marketing department couldn’t):

“We built this site because prescription painkiller abuse is soaring, especially in younger people. MySpace seems like a good fit.”

Honestly — “utilize MySpace”? Aside from that nearly being an oxymoron, what a mindless thing to say.

i can see why myspace users would be addicted to painkillers - everyone’s profile is so painful to look at!

And all those band pages aren’t about selling albums, either. Ahem.

By the way, you said “MySpace” and “serious” in the same sentence.

What about the older crowed that go there to have just there own place. The older chat room’s hardly has any thing on drug’s.

Like hello?
What about codeine???

You make it sound like Myspace gets users addicted to drugs but the users probably found drugs before myspace. I don’t see any bands telling users to say no to drugs or anything. You find out a lot about people when the platform allows you to self express.

This is pure hypocrisy on your part Michael. Myspace and Facebook do the same thing.

Myspace is allowing advertisers to create products for its userbase. If people don’t find the site helpful, they won’t go to it - end of story.

It’s so funny to find how Facebook can do no wrong in your eyes but Myspace can only do wrong. It’s time to stop the double standards and have some integrity in your reporting.

TechDumpster - wait, what about all the criticism for pointing out the security flas in facebook over the weekend? Do we love facebook or hate them? Arrrrgggg…you guys need to figure out who we’re shilling for.

ridiculous.

How can they put prescription painkillers and heroin in the same category? Isn’t that a bit farfetched? Ill take 10 painkillers together before I try heroin in my lifetime… Besides how many people do you know who actually take heroin these days? And if they do, odds are they’re not going to see this MySpace profile to help them out…

Maybe this “Addiction 411″ should focus more on ecstasy and cocaine, as far as Im concerned those drugs are what threatens are youth these days.

alex, they are both opiods, quite the same category, and as people realize this, and have the availiblity, it can be cheaper and more euphoric for many to switch to heroin. the heroin culture is not what it is in your eyes, just junkies on the corner, and you probably do know someone who uses it, perhaps occasionally, or you are not aware. the most common demographic is something like a 16 year old female, it has high suburban availability now as well. rural areas as well. you will take 10 of the exact same type of chemical as heroin, perhaps with high levels of acetometaphin in it as well.

in any case, subutex/suboxone (buprenorphine is the active opiod chemical) can actually be quite helpful in people addicted to opiods (the broader category that includes opiates by the way). studies have shown that truly addicted opiod addicts have a relapse rate after a 30 day in patient treatment (or just in GENERAL) of about 86%. it changes the brain chemistry quite drastically so that one craves it like food or water. anyways, maintence therapy can help the receptors heal (moreso with buprenorphien than methadone) while eliminating cravings, and letting the user get his/her life back together. then it is a milder slower withdrawl process.

as far as myspace, well I think it’s lame in general kinda like facebook (where most people use their real names interestingly enough, and you canf find people by email or aol screen name, therefore seeing their last name, quite a trip) but that doesn’t mean I don’t have an account… just started finding some people on it so it has been more useful then myspace ever was, but still, I realize many of the same pitfalls, and some scary elements, do apply.

–How can they put prescription painkillers and heroin in the same category?–

Because most of the drugs they described are OPIATE BASED painkillers. Heroin is made from….OPIUM.

–Ill take 10 painkillers together before I try heroin in my lifetime…–

Hence painkiller abuse is skyrocketing right now, because people know they shouldn’t use heroin, but I guess since the doctor prescribed oxycodone, it’s ok…..

B.t.w. I should know. My sister is a recovering addict. She was on Oxycodone and aderol (speed for kids with ADD). Ecstacy and coke are issues, however as the “campaign” for “drug free youth” goes on, I believe you’re going to see less use of coke, crack, meth and more of the prescription drug use. Kids tend to get confused when you say “Now Timmy, drugs are bad for you ok? That’s a good boy…now here’s your Ritilin and Prozac, mommy needs to go get her valium…”

Just my 2 cents, I might be wrong.

Asmodeus

for all the complaining that people do about how ugly myspace is, this appears to be a highly customized profile (which, i might add, is an advertising ploy used by hundreds of corporate, political, and entertainment entities on myspace). while i personally don’t support the pharma-hawking here any more than on tv, nor do i particularly like the design aesthetic (nice gopher though) — this is a nice demonstration of the power of freeform layout via CSS.

the problem with myspace isn’t that it’s ugly, it’s with people’s bad taste. and as graphic design has proven time and time again, forcing antiseptic modernism (read:facebook) on people is neither “better” nor what they want. i’ll take the ugliness of the real world every day over the sterility of someone else’s idea of good taste.

@ Michael

Your articles are overwhelmingly positive on Facebook. Your judgment call to say “Myspace is wrong for allowing X advertiser” is yours to make but there are plenty of questionable advertisers on Facebook. How is fighting painkiller addiction a bad thing?

Why should Myspace create a page for its users? Myspace is about UGC. It understands its not an expert.

You still have lots of overly positive stuff on Facebook. BTW, did you release Duncan Riley yet?

In my opinion, Facebook and the iphone are the two most significant developments in TechCrunch’s world this year. Thus my coverage.

Eric and Asmodeus are correct; all these drugs mentioned are opioids and are HIGHLY addictive. I, sadly, know quite a few people in their 30’s and 40’s who have struggled with opioid addiction, so it is hardly a teen phenomenon. Also sadly, Suboxone and Subutex appear to be becoming a bit of a cult as they are made more widely available. While there is a valid case for controlled use of these maintenance meds, I have seen cases of extreme dependence, and this protocol is a long-term and expensive one. Seeing “new media” marketing dollars thrown behind selling these drugs to teens is a bit scary.

Seems like a good move on MySpace’s part.

Myspace’s attempts to improve its image are pathetic.

Obviously, most of the people posting here aren’t too informed about opiates, because you sure don’t seem to know much about one of the biggest addictions there is today. Methadone deaths are outrageous, and Suboxone is what is being called the “miracle drug”, because it helps those with the addiction but it doesn’t have the deaths associated with it that Methadone does. Suboxone does and will be saving many lives. I really don’t care how the word gets out……as long as people learn about it!
If this form of bringing Suboxone to the forefront works on one person, it’s worth it.
What really bothers me is that all these people are commenting on it without having read up on it. Instead, you all see the words “drugs”, and “addict”, and that’s it…it’s a BAD thing. Please take some time to study what you’re talking about if you are going to dog something, don’t be such an idiot.

I just put someone in rehab for Suboxone addiction, and know several people on this protocol…I know exactly what I am talking about. Yes, it’s much better than methadone. That does not make it perfect.

I think selling Suboxone and helping people are exactly the same thing. Since Reckitt put out a press release about the site I don’t think they are trying to put one over on us. People addicted to opioids need to know about this option.

People generally DO NOT become addicted to Suboxone, addiction is an uncontrollable compulsion to di=o drugs despite harm, that is exactly what disappears when subuxone treatment begins. people are getting physical dependence confused with addiction. They are very different. One is a disease that requires treatment one is normal phyciology and not life threatening.

Elizabeth,
Addiction alters the brain, it takes time to change back. There are NO short effective treatments. The length of treatment is dictated by the ability of someone’s brain to adapt back ,or recondition itself..

With successful buprenorphine treatment and counseling the patient can put the addictive behavior in remission. The patient may still be “physically dependent” on opioids, (as they were prior to treatment) but this can be managed medically and reduced over time by a slow and gradual taper off of the medication. Physical dependence is not a dangerous medical condition that requires treatment, addiction is. Addiction is damaging, physical dependence is an inconvenience, and is normal physiology for anyone taking large doses of opioids for an extended period of time.

Jake

Jake,
I am very familiar with addiction medicine. Despite the mechanisms in place to reduce abuse of Suboxone, it does happen. Why do I feel that all these posts are from authorized prescribers of Suboxone and Subutex?
The statement that physical addiction does not require treatment is amazingly inaccurate but is out of place for discussion on Techcrunch. See you on Medscape.

Yeah, it is quite an unusual place but it is on topic. Sammy you reply as if you didn’t read my post, but I think you mean the people above me. I understood what Elizabeth meant, it’s too long to spell it all out. Not fun to quit any opiod, even a partial agonist with a slow taper and support and herbs and workout, and acupncture, and such to help, life goes on….

hi nice post, i enjoyed it

hi nice post, i enjoyed it

Jake,
I wonder what you would have to say about the article on this over at addictionsresources.com

“The marketing branch at drug maker Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals Inc., must have been slapping themselves on the back when this pharmaceutical company, which makes Suboxone / Bupernorphine, launched their Addiction411 MySpace page.”

It’s not that Suboxone isn’t beneficial, it’s the sneaky way they are marketing. BTW there’s no disclosure in that press release that this is a paid spot on MySpace.

Personally, I don’t care how opiate addicts LEARN about suboxone….so as long as they find out that it is available is good enuff for me!

Janice