In a Feb. 5 letter to committee Chairman Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., Mr. Sanders drew comparisons between the current opioid crisis and the testimony of tobacco executives before Congress in 1994. In that testimony, the executives claimed to have no knowledge of tobacco’s addictive properties. When this was proven to be false, states were able to reach settlements with tobacco companies totaling $246 billion.
Now, opioid manufacturers must be held to the same standards of accountability as those tobacco companies, according to Mr. Sanders.
“This crisis did not happen in a vacuum. Thanks to the work of many investigative journalists, we know that pharmaceutical companies lied about the addictive impacts of the drugs,” Mr. Sanders writes. “In other words, they knew how dangerous these products were, but refused to tell doctors and patients …Yet while some of the companies have made billions each year in profits, not one of them has been held fully accountable for its role in this crisis.”
Mr. Sanders adds he will soon propose legislation to restrict the marketing and distribution practices of opioid manufacturers and distributors, as well as reimburse communities for the opioid crisis’ economic impact.
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