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Rogers on Purdue Pharma Guilty Plea

Press Release

Date: May 10, 2007
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Criminal Justice


Rogers on Purdue Pharma Guilty Plea

"The guilty plea from top executives of Purdue Pharma vindicates those of us who know first-hand the problems associated with OxyContin. The actions of Purdue Pharma's executives have torn families apart, ruined careers and stretched thin public safety and health services.

This is not a medicine for a stubbed toe, it is for people in severe pain and it's highly addictive. Yet the marketeers of Purdue Pharma saw their opportunity and went after it, dispensing it to doctors and pharmacies across Southeast Kentucky. Nationwide, retail sales went from $25 million in 1996 to $1.2 billion in 2002, a good part of it from my district. In 2002, Eastern Kentucky was home to 25% of the nation's overdose deaths due to OxyContin.

Operation UNITE was our answer to this problem. Its treatment, education and law enforcement components changed lives for the better and brought justice to the pushers of this dangerous substance."


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