450,000 Americans DEAD!
NO, that is NOT a VIRUS report; (though it may be if we don't behave ourselves.)
It's the number who have died from legal and illegal use of opioid drugs in recent years.
The figures came out of a federal court settlement this week against one of the main makers of such drugs, Purdue Pharma. The firm finally admitted to various criminal charges against it. One of which was bribing doctors, through "speakers fees" into prescribing more oxy than needed for more illnesses than needed.
But, just as it is against the law to offer a bribe, so is it against the law to solicit or accept one. Let's hope the US authorities will (1) go after the doctors who accepted these bribes, and (2) publish a list of who they are so all may know.
And local news media, especially in Kentucky so hard hit by opioid problems, should keep after the US until it does, filing FOI (Freedom of Information ) requests until they get this data. And doing lots of stories based on it.
450,00 victims, many Kentuckians, deserve no less.
I'm just sayin'...
