Mass. Police Chief Blasts Pharmaceutical Companies: Ask Why They Are Promoting … – Ring of Fire

A Massachusetts police chief is calling upon the citizens of his town to reach out to Big Pharma companies and ask them what they plan to do to address the state’s opioid addiction epidemic.

Chief Leonard Campanello of the Gloucester Police Department posted on the department’s Facebook page the names and contact information of high-ranking, wealthy executives with large pharmaceutical companies. He asked the department’s 10,000 followers on Facebook to contact these people and ask them about the rampant spread of opioid addiction.

“Now . . . don’t get mad,” the post read. “Just politely ask them what they are doing to address the opioid epidemic in the United States, and if they realize that the latest data shows almost 80 percent of addicted persons start with a legally prescribed drug that they make.”

Although Gloucester police believe that the companies and executives “can play a key role” in solving the epidemic, they “might need a little push.” The citizens were asked to contact the executives via email and telephone.

In the past 20 years, legally prescribed opioid drugs have flooded the market and ended up on the streets. Because of this, there has been an increase of drug overdose deaths in America coupled with an increase of heroin use.

For more on this story, visit the Boston Globe Gloucester police ask residents to contact pharmaceutical CEOs about opioid epidemic.