On the recordJuly 13, 2017
In my home State of Hawaii, hospitalizations and emergency room visits from opioid-related conditions have more than doubled in the last decade. More people are now dying from overdoses than motor vehicle accidents. This opioid epidemic is killing 91 Americans all across this country every single day. For years, companies like Purdue Pharma, the maker of the commonly known drug OxyContin, have profited off of the suffering of millions of Americans who are dealing and struggling with opioid addiction. Now Purdue and others are going overseas, targeting foreign populations, using the very same shady marketing tactics, lies, and false advertising that helped them get rich at the expense of the American people. This is absolutely unacceptable. We can't just keep wringing our hands about the opioid crisis without actually tackling the cause of it. Purdue and those responsible should be prosecuted for the deaths and lives that have been ruined as a result of their lies. ____________________
