Haven’t we heard this before?!
Big Pharma is facing multiple lawsuits.
The latest, filed by the state of Ohio, accuses the drug companies of unleashing a
“health care crisis that has far-reaching financial, social, and deadly consequences.”
The Opioid Epidemic, or as some call it,
“This Generation’s AIDS Crisis” refers to the increase use of prescription and non-prescription opioids by Americans.
Purdue Pharma, Allergan, and Johnsons & Johnson are few of the companies named in the lawsuit filed by Ohio State.
The drug companies are accused, among other things, of running marketing campaigns that exaggerate benefits and downplay the risks of addiction.
Hmmm — haven’t we heard this before?!
Of course we have.
The 1990s lawsuits against the tobacco companies.
The industry’s denial that smoking affects health and can cause cancer.
And, later, the finding of their internal memos confirming they knew nicotine is addictive and carcinogenic.
Yet they kept it hidden for decades.
Winning the battle against the tobacco industry has resulted in a sharp decline in the number of smokers.
(Due largely to restricted tobacco advertising and increase-awareness campaigns.)
By all accounts, the Opioids Epidemic is far more complex.
That only means we need to work harder to solve it.
Start with educating patients of the risks of addiction.
(Many are not aware of it.)
Share responsibility and form partnerships: patients, doctors, law makers and law enforcement.
Working together we can curtail this epidemic.
Working together we can solve many other difficult problems we face.
Thanks for visiting.
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