WA Attorney General Sues Drug Companies, Silent on Needle Exchanges

Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced Tuesday the state is suing the three biggest distributors of opioid medications, claiming they are spurring on the epidemic that has sadly claimed the lives of many across the state and nation.

It's no secret that opioid misuse is one of the fastest growing issues in our society, whether misuse of prescription medications or illegal.

According to Ferguson, between 2006 and 2014, the three biggest movers of opioid medications failed to monitor, track and report what he says are suspicious shipments. Ferguson claims, for example, Pend Orielle County, there were more prescriptions than people in the county. He says enough opioids were shipped to pharmacies there to supply dozens of pills to every person, including children, who lived there.

The three companies being sued are McKessen Corporation, Cardinal Health, and Amerisource Bergen Drug Corporatioin. Ferguson is attempting to force them to surrender the profits they've made in WA state between those time frames, the money would reportedly be used to fight drug and opioid addiction and issues in our state.

However, Ferguson has said nothing about the growing issue of needle exchange sites and programs. Washington state has the most needle exchange programs and sites, even more than CA and New York.  These sites allow for the 'safe' injection of heroin and other drugs by users, despite the drugs being blatantly illegal.

Critics say Ferguson is ignoring the different facets of the drug problem, focusing only on the one that will bring in the most money to the state's coffers--which would be suing wealthy drug companies. In order to win the war on 'drugs' they say more mental health programs, and more focus on attacking all the different facets of illegal drug use from all sides.

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