I have a modest proposal to end the opioid epidemic. I know that you are already painfully aware of the results of the opioid scourge: death and destruction. The numbers are startling.
In 2018, the Bartholomew County Coroner’s Office reported 17 opioid-related overdose deaths. In 2017, there were 30 opioid-related deaths. The use of Narcan, a brand name for the opioid antidote naloxone, by emergency responders in our community may be preventing some people from becoming statistics.
Nationally, 63,632 Americans died in 2016 because of drug overdoses. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost two-thirds of those deaths were opioid-related. To put this in some context, there have only been three wars in American history where more than 63,632 Americans died (the Civil War, World War I and World War II). The opioid epidemic, by any measure, is a bloodbath.
Then there is the economic costs. According to a 2018 report by the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation, opioid addiction cost Indiana $4.3 billion in 2017 alone. Those are just statistics. We have heard the anecdotal horror stories, too.
Local companies are finding it difficult to find qualified employees. Some potential workers have problems with addiction. The opioid crisis has led to murder, theft, assault and, ultimately, prison. It has destroyed lives. Addiction often leads to child abuse, domestic violence and divorce.
Victims of the opioid epidemic often turn to other drugs, such as heroin. Like the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, hepatitis and HIV have joined opioids and crime to lay waste to our village.
We have all heard the stories. Many of us know a responsible, hardworking friend or neighbor who sprains an ankle or has some minor surgery. Doctors give them painkillers. They become addicted and ultimately lose everything. If they live, they struggle to put their lives back together. This is nothing short of a catastrophe.
Who has done this to us?
From 1995 through 2016, terrorists killed 3,658 Americans. If a terrorist attack killed more than 60,000 Americans, we would be outraged. The nation would be resolute and unified to bring the terrorists to justice.
Who is the villain? Who is responsible for all of this death and pain? Was it a Hollywood villain like Walter White or Scarface?
No, it was major American corporations like Purdue Pharma. It was also doctors who handed dangerous painkillers like Tic-Tacs.
My alma mater, Purdue University, would like you to know “Purdue University is not and has never been affiliated in any way with Purdue Pharma.” I think that Purdue Pharma may have contributed to this confusion by including black and gold in its logo, as well as using a font similar to the one Purdue University uses.
Purdue Pharma, which is primarily owned and operated by the Sackler family, manufactured and marketed oxycodone, hydrocodone and fentanyl. The company knew of the potential for abuse, as well as the addictive properties of its products. Yet, it aggressively marketed the painkillers to doctors. Despite the threats to public health, Purdue Pharma made billions. Purdue Pharma was slow to react when it became clear that their products were incredibly addictive.
Several states and cities have sued Purdue Pharma. The drug manufacturer has paid millions of dollars in settlements. Currently 36 states are suing Purdue Pharma for their part in the opioid crisis. Criminal courts have even convicted Purdue Pharma executives.
So what is my modest proposal? Build a wall around Purdue Pharma. Their headquarters is in Connecticut with locations in New Jersey and North Carolina. With only a few offices and production facilities, the wall would not have to be all that long. It would not be terribly expensive. We could even have the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) guarding the wall. Since Purdue Pharma is not the only manufacturer of opioids, we could build walls around other pharmaceutical companies, too.
That should work, right? Economist Adam Smith may disagree. Smith might argue that we must do something about the demand for drugs. That as long as there is a demand, the supply will find a way to the market. My solution may be just a little too modest.
Aaron Miller is one of The Republic’s community columnists and all opinions expressed are those of the writer. He has a doctorate in history and is an associate professor of history at Ivy Tech Community College — Columbus. Send comments to [email protected].
