Kentucky Declares War, Sues Makers Of Oxycontin

AP:

Kentucky officials on Thursday sued the manufacturer of OxyContin, the prescription painkiller dubbed "hillbilly heroin," because of widespread abuse in Appalachia.

A lawsuit filed by Kentucky Attorney General Greg Stumbo and Pike County officials demands millions in compensation from drug maker Purdue Pharma.

"Make no mistake about it -- this is war," said Gary C. Johnson, the county's outside counsel who is handling the case.

Read the whole story: AP

Comments

[drblack]

A commenter above incorrectly says "And by the way in the original article it incorrectly calls this drug 'Oxycodone'. Oxycodone is a short acting form which is highly addictive because it wears off so fast. Then the person wants another, and so on"
Oxycodone is EXACTLY what Oxycontin is. Oxycodone is the generic chemical name for Percocet or Oxycontin which are trade names.
Oxycontin is a time released form of Oxycodone.
Once again people...opiates have been proven decades ago to be non-toxic to the body. The acetaminophen or Tylenol component in many opiate pills like Percocet or tylenol 3 is very toxic to the liver.
heroin addicts uae un sterile injection techniques and eat poorly because of the illegal nature of opiates.
many times in the last 100 years when people addicted to opiates have been allowed to get cheap ,legal and a freely available supply of opiates they live like anyone else.
Opiates are very addictive but they aren't toxic and people can live "normal" lives as long as they get a cheap and freely available supply.
I know the propaganda of the last century and the low scientific understanding of the general population enabled by sensationalistic media and the illegal nature of some drugs have made people have little idea of the factual truths of drugs and their true effects.
If I made sugar illegal their would be the same situation that we have with drugs ...high prices...illness due to contamination, prostitution for sugar, government and police corruption with sugar money and a prison population consisting of millions of non-violent sugar dealers-users.
Driving a car is the most dangerous thing modern humans do...why are cars legal? (answer they are valuable tools. Cars can be deadly but useful when used with caution.

[fourex]

Rush asks for Bush to intervene.

[drblack]

The first comment is silly....opiates are opiates. They all act the same. Codeine, morphine, heroin.
They have differing potencies but the end effect is about the same.
One thing most people don't know is that opiates are non-toxic.....they do no damage to any body tissues. In fact studies on mammals have shown a large increase in the life spans of mammals given opiates versus the control group.
Opiate addicts act like anyone else...the problem is when they can't get a consistent and cheap supply of opiates.
The ignorance of the average person to all matters of science and especially concerning some drugs is astounding.
Alcohol is the worst drug as far damage to the individual and society ...and I am not suggesting reinstating prohibition.
People have to make their own choices but those who chose not to use substances shouldn't pay with money, freedom, their property and often their lives so some moral position is maintained.
END DRUG PROHIBITION NOW

[larry278]

As the record shows-Bayer claimed that heroin could be used to treat & cure an addiction to morphine when Bayer introduced heroin. Some still claim that Oxy cures the methadone & heroin habits. The pharmaceutical industry can be expected to introduce an new panacea to cure the habits of using Oxy, methadone, heroin & morphine. The new panacea won't be useful in treating the common cold.

[fedup07]

"Kentucky Sues Oxycontin Makers"

Oh good Lord what is Rush Limpdick going to do without his stash???

[kingofscotts]

I knew it. I bet my co-worker that if I clicked on this story Limbaugh would be brought into it in the first page. I had no idea it would happen this quick.

Predictability and unoriginality are the hallmarks of the hufftards.

[coastalcarla]

The people that should be sued are the idiotic "pain clinics" that hand this stuff out like candy. It's like they have a stack of mimeographed copies of the prescription that they just hand out. And most of the time, the people getting them are on Medi Cal or Medi Care and are so broke that they're selling them for cash. Then the real idiots get a hold of them and you have people ODing all over the place. If it's not meth in my town killing people, it's Oxy. But the "doctors" know just what this crap will do. And they still give it out like it's aspirin to people they know are going to trade it. They're the ones that should be held accountable. The Pharma execs have their part in it, but the "doctors" are the one with the medical education that should know better. It's one thing to get some because of broken bones. It's another to give a refillable prescription to a welfare mother that says she's got a "pain" somewhere that they can't even identify with tests.

[mimsnpips]

When used as directed Oxycontin is a powerful, very effective and safe analgesic. It stops 'pill popping' every 3-4 hours. It is NOT for broken bones, rather for long term chronic pain. Maybe in your state it can be refilled, though I doubt it. In most states it requires a special type of script, even in triplicate in some cases.
And by the way in the original article it incorrectly calls this drug 'Oxycodone'. Oxycodone is a short acting form which is highly addictive because it wears off so fast. Then the person wants another, and so on. Unbelievable to me is that people grind up a pill and inject it. Goes to prove if someone wants to abuse a drug they will find a way no matter what.
You may ask do I use it? No. Though I do use a different long term pain control.
Chronic pain is devastating and can drive a person to madness, even thoughts of suicide to end "the daily grind" of joints, muscles, bones and incurable tinnitis (ringing in the ears).

[abbiehoffmansghost]

lah9ovnp rdhis lahdy. Ha, ha, ah.

[PeterTheChanter]

good luck to the ky a.g., i live across the river in wv...oxy is f*cking devastating here.

[fact finder]

Peter, ONE MORE TIME YOU CAN NOT LEGISLATE MORALITY. Give people a job that pays enough to pay their bills and save for the future and a lot of crime will go away. What next ban all drugs that work for people with incurable pain.? Go back to smoking your opium pipe and sweet dreams.This law suit is frivolous and a cheap political ploy.

[drricklippin]

While millions of poor minorities rot in US jails for marihuana use we need to convict the REAL drug pushers in our nation-CEOs of so called 'ethical" drug companies like Purdue.

Three of Purdue's executives are already proven culpable but until some of these creeps do hard jailtime we will continue to witness the new drug problem in our nation.The abuse of the licit medications pushed by greedy drug companies onto naive consumers is indeed a great american tragedy.

A miracle industry gone completely sour.

Dr. Rick Lippin
http://medicalcrises.blogsot.com

[nomoredead]

Exactly right. These big drug companies know whats going on, but are greedy. A friend of a friend years ago was going to Mexico and buying 200 bottles of an animal tranquiizer every few weeks.....now you know the sales person for the big drug company would have to think something is fishy with a little pharmacy in a small town selling thousands of bottles of a rarely used drug.

[drricklippin]

you are so right nomoredead

rick lippin

[MI6troll]

In realted news...Rush pulls his show from all Kentucky radio stations.

[ProgressiveChange]

Oxycontin is part of GiulianiCare ... which includes his lucrative devotion to Big Pharma.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2007/05/oxycontin_the_g.html

[clumberfeet]

13,974.31 Sky Miles! The US economy and dollar are doing great!

[kellygrrrl]

I feel we could settle this lawsuit to everyone's satisfaction.

Rush Limbaugh shall be exiled to the Appalachian Mtns and all Oxy shipped to Kentucky will go directly to him in his cave.
All "hillbillies" who wish to receive rehab will be given a free 30-stay at the facility sponsored by Limbaugh Estate

[HumeSkeptic]

Kentucky is a phony state - Rush Limbaugh