City Sues OxyContin-Maker For Allegedly Allowing Drug To Funnel To Black Market
In the lawsuit in federal court, Everett, Wash., officials are seeking to hold Purdue Pharma liable for "supplying OxyContin to obviously suspicious pharmacies and physicians and enabling the illegal diversion of OxyContin into the black market." In other news on nation's opioid epidemic, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio pledges increased funding and resources to fight the growing number of overdoses.
The Associated Press:
City Says Drugmaker Knowingly Let Pills Flood Black Market
As deaths from painkillers and heroin abuse spiked and street crimes increased, the mayor of Everett took major steps to tackle the opioid epidemic devastating this working-class city north of Seattle. (Le, 3/14)
The New York Times:
As Drug Deaths Soar, Mayor Offers Plan To Cut Toll
With fatal drug overdoses at alarming levels in New York City, particularly from opiates like heroin, Mayor Bill de Blasio on Monday vowed to reverse the tide and reduce the number of deaths by 35 percent over five years through a combination of outreach, treatment and law enforcement. (Goodman and Southall, 3/13)
