On the recordOctober 25, 2017
I want to also entertain the questions about the pending opioid announcement of this White House. I want to bring to the attention the article in The New Yorker on the empire of pain. I am working on these issues, but I realize that this has to be a comprehensive approach to opioid abuse. The Purdue company launched OxyContin with a marketing campaign that attempted to counter this attitude and change the prescribing habits of doctors. {time} 1045 Many people know OxyContin. The company funded research and paid doctors to make the case that concerns about opioid addiction were overblown and that OxyContin would safely treat an ever-wider range of maladies. Sales representatives marketed OxyContin as a product to start with and to stay with. Remember that. A product to start with and to stay with. Millions of patients found the drug to be a vital salve for excruciating pain, but many others grew so hooked on it, that between doses they experienced debilitating withdrawal. If we are going to do real opioid reform, this must be a standup of the pharmaceutical companies, and they cannot be defended. In addition, we have to understand that those languishing in jail that have suffered from criminal penalties for crack cocaine--crack-- there now should be a compromise for their release. Opioid reform must include all of the neighborhoods of America, not just some. ____________________
