Big Pharma’s dangerous drugs are now killing more people than guns or automobile accidents
by: Vicki Batts
NaturalNews.com
Tuesday, November 20, 2018
New statistics from the National Institutes of Health show that more than 72,000 people died from drug overdoses during 2017. Of those, a staggering 49,060 people are said to have died as a result of opioid abuse. The opioid pain-reliever is one of Big Pharma’s most profitable cash-cows, and now, American citizens are paying the price — with their lives. Annual death tolls from opioids alone are now exceeding deaths from car accidents (40,100), fatal shootings (15,549), homicides (17,284) and even suicide (almost 45,000).
All told, about 200 people died an opioid-related death everyday in 2017. Earlier estimates also confirmed that the number of people Big Pharma killed with opioids in a single year was higher than the number of causalities the U.S. incurred during the Vietnam and Iraq wars combined.
While all these lives (and the lives of their loved ones) are being torn apart, Big Pharma has been raking in billions. And the same industry that caused this massive epidemic of death now stands to profit by selling new, pharmaceutical “cures” for the problem they created.
Profits over people
As reports from 2015 show, just the sale of opioids alone equates to $9.6 billion for Big Pharma — and now, pharma companies are making a whole stack of drugs to treat the problems associated with their toxic pain relievers. Estimates from The Washington Post reveal that Big Pharma is making $1.4 billion on drugs to “treat” addiction, and another $1.3 billion on drugs to deal with overdoses. It’s estimated further that the industry makes between $1.9 billion and $4.8 billion on drugs to treat side effects of opioids. There is even a laxative on the market aimed at treating “opioid-induced constipation,” a condition that was actually made up by pharma companies.
As sources note, opioids are a highly profitable product: In addition to being addictive, the side effects are mild enough to keep people hooked — but bothersome enough that they’ll seek out other prescriptions. Andrew Kolodny, executive director of Physicians for Responsible Opioid Prescribing, says that this can make patients “worth” several thousands dollars each month to Big Pharma.
“Many patients wind up very sedated from opioids, and it’s not uncommon to give them amphetamines to make them more alert. But now they can’t sleep, so they get Ambien or Lunesta. The amphetamines also make them anxious, paranoid and sweaty, and that means even more drugs,” Kolodny told the Post.
An industry built on scandal
The Rest…HERE
