Ed Markey: “before I begin, as we discuss the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, I would like to take a moment to thank…”

“before I begin, as we discuss the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, I would like to take a moment to thank Senator Whitehouse for his role in developing the bill and bringing it this far. I also convey my gratitude to Minority Leader Reid and the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, Senator Leahy, for their excellent staffs and for urging that my amendments--which I will address momentarily--be a part of the discussion and for managing the negotiations on this bill. I also thank Senator Murray, the ranking member of the HELP Committee, for help and counsel on amendments. Let us pause for a moment and consider the causes of the prescription opioid and heroin epidemic gripping our country. Understanding the causes will help us focus on the right solutions. Three distinct parties bear much of the blame for this public health crisis. First, there is Big Pharma. In the mid-1990s, the seeds of this epidemic were planted with the aggressive, misleading, and ultimately criminal marketing of the powerful opioid painkiller, OxyContin by Purdue Pharma. Perdue claimed OxyContin was not addictive and couldn't be abused. Neither of those claims turned out to be true. Purdue Pharma built a massive marketing and sales program for OxyContin. From 1996 to 2000, Purdue Pharma's sales force more than doubled from more than 300 sales representatives to almost 700 sales representatives.…”