WEBVTT 00:00.768 --> 00:03.804 PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY OF FUELING THE OPIOID CRISIS. 00:03.838 --> 00:04.838 FUELING THE OPIOID CRISIS. NBC’S DASHA BURNS EXPLAINS HOW 00:04.872 --> 00:05.272 NBC’S DASHA BURNS EXPLAINS HOW WE GOT HERE. 00:05.306 --> 00:07.407 WE GOT HERE. >> Reporter: NEARLY ONE IN FIVE 00:07.408 --> 00:08.942 >> Reporter: NEARLY ONE IN FIVE AMERICANS KNOWS SOMEONE WHO 00:08.943 --> 00:09.943 AMERICANS KNOWS SOMEONE WHO STRUGGLES WITH OPIOID ADDICTION. 00:09.977 --> 00:11.344 STRUGGLES WITH OPIOID ADDICTION. IT’S AN EPIDEMIC THAT SPREAD TO 00:11.345 --> 00:12.979 IT’S AN EPIDEMIC THAT SPREAD TO MORE THAN 400,000 OVERDOSE 00:13.014 --> 00:19.953 MORE THAN 400,000 OVERDOSE DEATHS IN THE LAST TWO DECADES. 00:19.954 --> 00:21.521 DEATHS IN THE LAST TWO DECADES. THE CDC BREAKS THIS DOWN INTO 00:21.522 --> 00:23.823 THE CDC BREAKS THIS DOWN INTO THREE WAYS STARTING IN THE LATE 00:23.825 --> 00:25.659 THREE WAYS STARTING IN THE LATE 1990s WHEN DOCTORS FIRST BEGAN 00:25.660 --> 00:27.027 1990s WHEN DOCTORS FIRST BEGAN TREATING CHRONIC PAIN CONDITIONS 00:27.028 --> 00:29.329 TREATING CHRONIC PAIN CONDITIONS WITH OXYCONTIN AND VICODIN. 00:29.330 --> 00:30.163 WITH OXYCONTIN AND VICODIN. PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES 00:30.198 --> 00:31.297 PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES INSISTED THE DRUGS WEREN’T 00:31.332 --> 00:33.667 INSISTED THE DRUGS WEREN’T ADDICTIVE SO THEY QUICKLY BECAME 00:33.701 --> 00:34.134 ADDICTIVE SO THEY QUICKLY BECAME OVERPRESCRIBED. 00:34.168 --> 00:37.470 OVERPRESCRIBED. AT ONE POINT, AS MANY AS 249 00:37.472 --> 00:38.438 AT ONE POINT, AS MANY AS 249 MILLION PRESCRIPTIONS WERE GIVEN 00:38.440 --> 00:40.640 MILLION PRESCRIPTIONS WERE GIVEN OUT IN A SINGLE YEAR. 00:40.642 --> 00:41.675 OUT IN A SINGLE YEAR. THAT’S ENOUGH FOR EVERY AMERICAN 00:41.710 --> 00:42.910 THAT’S ENOUGH FOR EVERY AMERICAN ADULT TO HAVE THEIR OWN BOTTLE 00:42.944 --> 00:44.177 ADULT TO HAVE THEIR OWN BOTTLE OF PILLS. 00:44.212 --> 00:46.179 OF PILLS. AND AS PRESCRIPTIONS INCREASED, 00:46.180 --> 00:49.382 AND AS PRESCRIPTIONS INCREASED, SO DID OVERDOSE DEATHS. 00:49.384 --> 00:50.117 SO DID OVERDOSE DEATHS. FAST FORWARD TO THE SECOND WAVE 00:50.151 --> 00:51.852 FAST FORWARD TO THE SECOND WAVE AROUND 2010, AFTER RECOGNIZING 00:51.853 --> 00:53.787 AROUND 2010, AFTER RECOGNIZING THE ADDICTIVE NATURE OF 00:53.822 --> 00:55.589 THE ADDICTIVE NATURE OF PAINKILLERS, DOCTORS CUT BACK ON 00:55.590 --> 00:56.590 PAINKILLERS, DOCTORS CUT BACK ON PRESCRIPTIONS, BUT AS PEOPLE 00:56.591 --> 00:59.092 PRESCRIPTIONS, BUT AS PEOPLE LOST ACCESS TO THESE 00:59.094 --> 01:01.361 LOST ACCESS TO THESE PAINKILLERS, MANY SWITCHED TO 01:01.396 --> 01:01.695 PAINKILLERS, MANY SWITCHED TO HEROIN. 01:01.730 --> 01:04.498 HEROIN. A CHEAPER, MORE ACCESSIBLE 01:04.499 --> 01:04.832 A CHEAPER, MORE ACCESSIBLE OPIOID. 01:04.866 --> 01:05.499 OPIOID. ONE STUDY EVEN FOUND THAT 01:05.500 --> 01:06.967 ONE STUDY EVEN FOUND THAT THREE-QUARTERS OF HEROIN USERS 01:06.968 --> 01:08.802 THREE-QUARTERS OF HEROIN USERS IN TREATMENT STARTED WITH 01:08.803 --> 01:09.870 IN TREATMENT STARTED WITH PRESCRIPTION OPIOIDS AND THE 01:09.871 --> 01:12.573 PRESCRIPTION OPIOIDS AND THE HIGH DEMAND FOR HEROIN LED TO A 01:12.574 --> 01:13.707 HIGH DEMAND FOR HEROIN LED TO A SURPLUS OF IT ON THE STREETS. 01:13.708 --> 01:17.177 SURPLUS OF IT ON THE STREETS. HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS BECAME 01:17.178 --> 01:17.911 HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS BECAME ADDICTED TO THE DRUG REGARDLESS 01:17.912 --> 01:22.682 ADDICTED TO THE DRUG REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT THEY HAD A 01:22.684 --> 01:23.617 OF WHETHER OR NOT THEY HAD A PREVIOUS ADDICTION TO PAIN 01:23.652 --> 01:24.818 PREVIOUS ADDICTION TO PAIN PAINKILLERS 01:24.819 --> 01:25.218 PAINKILLERS PAINKILLERS. 01:25.220 --> 01:25.786 PAINKILLERS. OVERDOSES FROM HEROIN 01:25.820 --> 01:26.520 OVERDOSES FROM HEROIN SKYROCKETED UNTIL THE THIRD WAVE 01:26.554 --> 01:26.920 SKYROCKETED UNTIL THE THIRD WAVE AROUND 2013. 01:26.922 --> 01:27.588 AROUND 2013. THAT’S WHEN OVERDOSE DEATHS 01:27.622 --> 01:28.322 THAT’S WHEN OVERDOSE DEATHS STARTED TO INCLUDE THE DRUG, 01:28.323 --> 01:28.689 STARTED TO INCLUDE THE DRUG, FENTANYL. 01:28.690 --> 01:31.225 FENTANYL. IT’S AN EXTREMELY POWERFUL 01:31.226 --> 01:33.427 IT’S AN EXTREMELY POWERFUL SYNTHETIC OPIOID FOUND IN 01:33.428 --> 01:34.995 SYNTHETIC OPIOID FOUND IN HEROIN, PILLS, AND COCAINE AND 01:34.996 --> 01:36.997 HEROIN, PILLS, AND COCAINE AND THOSE SYNTHETIC OPIOIDS ARE NOW 01:36.998 --> 01:38.532 THOSE SYNTHETIC OPIOIDS ARE NOW LINKED TO MORE OVERDOSE DEATHS 01:38.566 --> 01:40.234 LINKED TO MORE OVERDOSE DEATHS THAN ANY OTHER DRUG IN THE U.S. 01:40.235 --> 01:43.637 THAN ANY OTHER DRUG IN THE U.S. AND THIS BATTLE IS FAR FROM 01:43.638 --> 01:43.937 AND THIS BATTLE IS FAR FROM OVER. 01:43.939 --> 01:46.040 OVER. IN FACT, 130 AMERICANS DIE EVERY 01:46.041 --> 01:48.409 IN FACT, 130 AMERICANS DIE EVERY DAY FROM AN OPIOID OVERDOSE. 01:48.443 --> 01:50.845 DAY FROM AN OPIOID OVERDOSE. IT’S WHY OVER 2,000 CITIES, 01:50.879 --> 01:52.880 IT’S WHY OVER 2,000 CITIES, COUNTIES AND STATES HAVE FILED 01:52.914 --> 01:55.049 COUNTIES AND STATES HAVE FILED LAWSUITS AGAINST DRUG MAKERS, 01:55.083 --> 01:55.783 LAWSUITS AGAINST DRUG MAKERS, DISTRIBUTORS AND PHARMACIES FOR 01:55.817 --> 02:00.621 DISTRIBUTORS AND PHARMACIES FOR THEIR ROLE IN THE CRISIS. 02:00.622 --> 02:02.156 THEIR ROLE IN THE CRISIS. THEY ARGUED THE EPIDEMIC STARTED 02:02.190 --> 02:05.092 THEY ARGUED THE EPIDEMIC STARTED BECAUSE DOCTORS WERE MISLED INTO 02:05.127 --> 02:05.760 BECAUSE DOCTORS WERE MISLED INTO THINKING OPIOIDS WEREN’T 02:05.761 --> 02:06.460 THINKING OPIOIDS WEREN’T ADDICTIVE BUT THE PHARMACEUTICAL 02:06.495 --> 02:07.828 ADDICTIVE BUT THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY HAS LARGELY DENIED 02:07.863 --> 02:08.930 INDUSTRY HAS LARGELY DENIED RESPONSIBILITY AND AT LEAST FOUR 02:08.931 --> 02:10.565 RESPONSIBILITY AND AT LEAST FOUR MAJOR DRUG COMPANIES SETTLED 02:10.566 --> 02:13.868 MAJOR DRUG COMPANIES SETTLED THEIR LAWSUITS FOR $260 MILLION 02:13.903 --> 02:15.002 THEIR LAWSUITS FOR $260 MILLION TO AVOID GOING TO TRIAL. 02:15.037 --> 02:17.472 TO AVOID GOING TO TRIAL. BUT MANY PARTS OF THAT MASSIVE 02:17.473 --> 02:18.573 BUT MANY PARTS OF THAT MASSIVE LITIGATION ARE STILL 02:18.607 --> 02:19.307 LITIGATION ARE STILL OUTSTANDING. 02:19.341 --> 02:20.775 OUTSTANDING. REGARDLESS, SOME SAY THAT 02:20.776 --> 02:22.176 REGARDLESS, SOME SAY THAT SETTLEMENT MONEY ISN’T ANYWHERE 02:22.211 --> 02:22.743 SETTLEMENT MONEY ISN’T ANYWHERE NEAR ENOUGH. 02:22.778 --> 02:24.479 NEAR ENOUGH. AFTER ALL, THE GOVERNMENT 02:24.480 --> 02:25.780 AFTER ALL, THE GOVERNMENT ESTIMATES THE CRISIS COSTS