Trump urges lawsuit against opioid companies, tougher sentences for dealers

By Ayesha Rascoe

 

U.S. President Donald Trump talks to his adviser Kellyanne Conway during an opioid summit being held at the White House in Washington, U.S., March 1, 2018. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday called for a federal lawsuit against opioid companies and stiffer penalties for drug dealers, arguing that the government must take a strong approach to combat an opioid addiction epidemic.

 

Trump said that he had urged Attorney General Jeff Sessions to take legal action.

 

"Hopefully we can do some litigation against the opioid companies," Trump said at a summit hosted by the White House on the nation's opioid crisis.

 

Hundreds of states, counties and cities have sued drugmakers and distributors, saying that manufacturers have deceptively marketed opioids and distributors have failed to take action against indications the painkillers were diverted for improper uses.

 

On Tuesday, Sessions announced that the federal government would seek reimbursement from major drug companies and distributors to recoup costs from the opioid epidemic. The Justice Department will file a "statement of interest" in consolidated litigation on opioids.

 

It was not immediately clear whether, in his remarks at the summit, Trump was referring to that Justice Department action or pressing for further steps.

 

The White House convened the opioid summit to highlight administration efforts to address drug abuse.

 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 42,000 people died from opioid overdoses in 2016, the last year with publicly available data.

 

Trump complained that people dealing drugs on the streets did not face enough consequences in the United States.

 

"Some countries have a very, very tough penalty - the ultimate penalty," he said. "And, by the way, they have much less of a drug problem than we do."

 

He did not specify the type of punishment he would like to see drug dealers face.

 

The White House has indicated it would favor new rules to provide prisoners with more opportunities once they are no longer incarcerated, but has declined to back changes that would reduce mandatory minimums for drug offenders.

 

(Additional reporting by Makini Brice; editing by Lisa Lambert and Rosalba O'Brien)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-03-02

And stop the Heroin coming from Afghanistan.....

 

Taking a long time to do that isn't it?

 

50 minutes ago, webfact said:

Trump complained that people dealing drugs on the streets did not face enough consequences in the United States.

 

"Some countries have a very, very tough penalty - the ultimate penalty," he said. "And, by the way, they have much less of a drug problem than we do."

Yes, harsh penalties for drugs have (NOT) worked for 70 years. The answer is definitely to continue the policy, but make things even harsher...

 

If ever there was an issue that required new thinking, this is it. However, all I read is the same old tired responses.

 

Sigh...

If bb drug dealers Trump means the pharmaceutical companies selling such opioids such as oxycontin, he might have a point.

50 minutes ago, ilostmypassword said:

If bb drug dealers Trump means the pharmaceutical companies selling such opioids such as oxycontin, he might have a point.

 

They will produce and sell as many as can be prescribed. Who prescribes pills? Doctors.  Anyhow, speaking of pharmaceutical companies how about getting them off TV as a first step?

2 hours ago, faraday said:

And stop the Heroin coming from Afghanistan.....

 

Taking a long time to do that isn't it?

 

Mostly comes from Mexico these days https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2018/01/14/571184153/on-the-hunt-for-poppies-in-mexico-americas-biggest-heroin-supplier

Edited March 2, 20188 yr by rwdrwdrwd

"Dealers"?

 

So that would be distributors, pharma sales people, doctors and pharmacists?

 

 

If indeed he did what he is suggesting, and opposed some of the manufacturers of these drugs, in addition to the gun control changes he has recently suggested, I might actually be able to refer to him as a leader, who is actually doing something to benefit the American people, rather than the corporations and his lobbyists, for a change. That would be nothing short of amazing. Let us hope he follows that up. Not with stiffer penalties for users. That is too easy, and it has been proven to not work, by the dunce in chief Reagan, and his ridiculous war on drugs. But, actually going after the drug companies, and giving them a hard time. Will that ever happen? Would he actually be able to say no to their lobbyists? He has never met a lobbyist he does not like, so it is unlikely. But, Tiny D. actually doing something constructive is a nice dream.

 

 

5 hours ago, webfact said:

It was not immediately clear whether, in his remarks at the summit, Trump was referring to that Justice Department action or pressing for further steps.

What is clear, is that if the Justice Department initiated action works, trump will claim the credit for it. 

Edited March 2, 20188 yr by Bluespunk

15 minutes ago, Bluespunk said:

What is clear, is that if the Justice Department initiated action works, trump will claim the credit for it. 

What is clear if anyone ever watched the 60 Minutes expose' is that both Justice Dept., to a lesser extent, and the DEA, to a greater extent are captured by the pharmaceutical companies that push this poison on to the American public. All of that pre-dates Trump.

Revoking or suspending licenses of the "good" doctors prescribing unnecessary or wrong or addictive medication, without that being a last resort remedy, p.e. in palliative care or in acute situations such as for immediate pain relief after accidents, might be a good start.

3 minutes ago, lannarebirth said:

What is clear if anyone ever watched the 60 Minutes expose' is that both Justice Dept., to a lesser extent, and the DEA, to a greater extent are captured by the pharmaceutical companies that push this poison on to the American public. All of that pre-dates Trump.

Agree to a certain extent, but that doesn’t negate my point. 

Some municipalities are going after the Sacklers, but expect they're insulated 50 ways to Sunday...

 

Now I'm back to having a smoke while I insulate my coal mine with asbestos.

 

 

The Family That Built an Empire of Pain

The Sackler dynasty’s ruthless marketing of painkillers has generated billions of dollars—and millions of addicts.

 

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/10/30/the-family-that-built-an-empire-of-pain

 

 

THE SECRETIVE FAMILY MAKING BILLIONS FROM THE OPIOID CRISIS

 

You’re aware America is under siege, fighting an opioid crisis that has exploded into a public-health emergency. You’ve heard of OxyContin, the pain medication to which countless patients have become addicted. But do you know that the company that makes Oxy and reaps the billions of dollars in profits it generates is owned by one family?

 

https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a12775932/sackler-family-oxycontin/

Edited March 2, 20188 yr by mtls2005

15 minutes ago, Bluespunk said:

Agree to a certain extent, but that doesn’t negate my point. 

 

No it doesn't, but how would that make him any different than any other president?

2 minutes ago, lannarebirth said:

 

No it doesn't, but how would that make him any different than any other president?

He is the most narcissistic I can recall. 

 

He claims credit where none is due, he blames others when he is at fault. 

 

He is vindictive, venal and a disgrace. 

1 minute ago, Bluespunk said:

He is the most narcissistic I can recall. 

 

He claims credit where none is due, he blames others when he is at fault. 

 

He is vindictive, venal and a disgrace. 

 

Yeah, but we knew all that 30 years ago. Same as we did Clinton's proclivities towards corruption. I really don't get all the hand wringing now. Probably should have picked some better people. Least worse just gets you worse and worse.

1 minute ago, lannarebirth said:

 

Yeah, but we knew all that 30 years ago. Same as we did Clinton's proclivities towards corruption. I really don't get all the hand wringing now. Probably should have picked some better people. Least worse just gets you worse and worse.

I didn’t like Clinton either but trump is far worse. 

 

Oh, and I'm not wringing my hands, I’m expressing my contempt. 

8 hours ago, webfact said:

42,000 people died from opioid overdoses in 2016

So, the CIA used to make drugs illegal like LSD back in the 1960s because they couldn't recruit new soldiers to fight in Vietnam.

Why couldn't the CIA stop heroin smugglers,the most deadly drug on the planet!?

Edited March 2, 20188 yr by Different

21 minutes ago, Different said:

So, the CIA used to make drugs illegal like LSD back in the 1960s because they couldn't recruit new soldiers to fight in Vietnam.

Why couldn't the CIA stop heroin smugglers,the most deadly drug on the planet!?

For the sake of argument, let's grant your unlikely assertion that it was the CIA that made LSD illegal.  How successful in suppressing it's usage were they? As I recall, it was easily available if you were interested in it. So why would the CIA have any greater success in stopping heroin usage? And no, heroin isn't the most deadly drug on the planet. Not even the most deadly addictive drug. That honor probably goes to Fentanyl which is an entirely manufactured form of opioid , Some analogues of it are 10,000 times more powerful than morphine. And Fentanyl is rapidly growing in popularity.