Host we wanted to get your take on the Opioid Crisis. Call this number of ura republican. Among the economically stressed white americans, taking a toll along whites, hispanics and blacks. Since the beginning of the decade whites, 12 . Native americans and 18 . The overall death rate for americans and needs prime years rose 8 between 2018 and what it reflects is an outofcontrol epidemic. A lengthy piece in the Washington Post. He files a lawsuit against five pharmaceutical manufacturers. They helped cause ohios current Opioid Epidemic. Heres a little bit from the attorney general from mike dewine hearing on capitol hill late last week. The pharmaceutical companies beginning in the late 1990s tried to change the cultures. That purpose was for pain that goes on day after day. But is not terminal. They were very successful in doing that. In response to your question, one of the things i like to see these companies do, they can do it tomorrow and start, lawsuit or no lawsuit, is to spend some money to change the culture back to where it should be. Host you can watch that entire hearing at cspan. Org. Well show you other pieces from it as we go on. Far more powerful and deadly. Were talking about the role of government here. Chris is on the line fierce from the republican line from texas. Good morning chris. Caller good morning sir. We really need the pain killers. I had several operations myself. Couldnt have made it without them. They have a wonderful purpose. Were so lucky to have the medical that we have. Im recovered addict from local. Alcohol. Lot of rehabs closed up under obama. I hope those rehabs can start opening up again. They were pretty much free. Its nice to get in some place if youre hurting and ready to get in to recover. Theres no place to get into, our problem is sold. To me thats the most important thing. They got the dogs out. The drugs are on the streets. Some of that stuff is really bad news. Some of that stuff you can take one pill and die from it. Thats how strong it is. Host chris were you concerned you were addicted to alcohol. Were you concerned youll get addicted to pain killers . Caller absolutely. I would take anything that makes me feel good. Im going to over do it. Im sorry about that. Its not a moral issue. I have a disease. Im not bad person. Im a sick person trying to get well. Its an illness. For those that think its a moral issue, they need to bag that. Host chris, thank you. Lets hear from iris. Iris calling from michigan now on the independent line. Caller thank you for taking my call. I believe when the government finally addresses whats out there as drugs and narcotics instead of softening it up by calling it opioids, theyll have to do something. The proper departments to deal with drugs and narcotics can get boo it. I really believe that if people can find a places where this stuff is available so can the government. Just call it by what it is so the right people can get into action and do something about it. It is killing too many people. Its taking lives. Caller i believe the government should do more about the Opioid Crisis. Do understand what i am saying . Host thank you for calling eugene. Were talking about your calls on the Government Role regarding the Opioid Epidemic. Plenty being written just in the last several days including this story in the Washington Post in says the drug crisis is pushing up death rates for almost all groups of americans. Very details piece here. New mortality spike is occurring in almost every state. Breath of the Nations Health has not been widely appreciated. Academic researchers have focused on the most intensely affected regions like appalachia and rural new england. A trend in began around 1999 and continues unabated. Caller china cut medicaid. It would do a lot of good. I would say the Lieutenant Governor he had up there, hes not a republican. Hes a democrat. You guys can change that. Host okay, thank you very much for calling. We have robert on the line. Robert from charlestown, rhode island. Caller whats your first name, john . Host im paul. Caller opioid is a different story. Ive been prescribed oxycodone because i have arthritis. Ive taken one pill. Im 76 years old. I have bad arthritis. I only taken one pill. I watched the program cops and other programs where you see these people, theyre almost comatose on the streets and everything. Its a waste of money. You cant save them. This Younger Generation is brought up by tv programs they see on cell phones. Its almost like most of them dont have no purpose in life. They turn to drugs like this. They have nothing that interest them. Me, i get high when sun is shining and im working. Theres so many people on these host that earlier caller said he has a disease. What do you think of that . Caller i dont believe its a disease. I have pain all the time. I dont even take it. I live off tylenol. I got a prescription of 60 pills and ive taken one. I i said give mely byes you gave me in 2010 to hell me. Wow, thats opioid. I said there, you gave me a prescription of 15 pills last me 10 years. Its weakness. You watch these cop programs and you see people on drugs. Theyre walking zombies. Host i want to get other voices in here. Based on everything you just said, does government have a role here . If so, what is it . Caller it may have a on everything you just role. Lot of people are medicaid that get these drugs and shouldnt be. I can go on forever. Host one of the earlier callers mentioned medicaid there. The New Hampshire center at that joint Economic Committee hearing talked about the Opioid Impact and brought up medicaid. Heres what she had to say. As i travel across my home state of New Hampshire, i hear from countless families and those on the front lines about how the heroin, fentanyl and Opioid Crisis devastated communities across our state. I know that many of our colleague have heard of the impacts in their state as well. Im proud that during my time as governor, republicans and democrats in New Hampshire put our differences aside and came together to pass and we authorized our states bipartisan Medicaid Expansion plan. Medicaid expansion is providing quality, Affordable Health coverage to northern 50,000 granite staters including coverage for Behavorial Health and substance disorder treatment. Experts have said it is the number one tool we have to fight this crisis. We should be coming together here just as we did in my home state. To support those on the front lines and help those who are struggling with addiction. While members of both parties and the administration have discussed this crises, we need these words to be matched by action. Host the washington journal touches on this. Opioid crisis poses challenges for bill. They talking about legislation. Opioid crisis has become Sticking Point in the republican plan to dismantle portion of the Affordable Care act with key gop senators hesitating. Several provision of the aca known as obamacare millions of americans seeking Substance Abuse treatment to gain coverage including through an expansion of the Medicaid Health program for the poor. The house repealing repealing the aca would roll back that Medicaid Expansion beginning in 2020 and allow Insurance Companies charge higher premium or deny them Substance Abuse coverage. Thats in the wall street journal this morning. Adam from baltimore, good morning. What would you like to say . Caller i believe that this Opioid Crisis is sort of an sorry, trying to gather my words its a symptom from the failed war on drugs and so called madness culture. Host what is a compassionate approach . Caller making more expensive option treatment readily available for people with lower income. Lay heard, i dont have the proof on me i remember reading that people that needed to get treatment for their addiction had extremely limited options and there were various programs some with higher treatment. Theyll take you to a nice Country Club Resort and give you all the various options that you need. That sort of treatment is very expensive and very exclusive. Host thank you for calling adam. John is in texas. John a republican. Good morning. Caller good morning paul. I have a history with taking opioid pain medication. I have a chronic back problem. Im not going to talk it now because my problem with it. My concern is, is that in the past, they made to so difficult. D. E. A. Made it difficult for doctors that was lot of the pharmacies didnt stock the medication because they were scared of being broken into burglaries. Doctors didnt want to prescribe medications. My concern is, i understand its a problem with abuse of the medication. There are a lot of people in United States that have chronic problems. Part of reason that medical marijuana has come about. Doctors arent able to prescribe medication that legitimate patients need. Host john thanks for calling. Social media carol write nas were in society that becomes more satiated so called pleasures. Were asking you about the role of government. Jackie writes these people saying to stop letting it cross the border are serious. Holy crap, do you know that opioids are the painkillers you get from your doctor . To answer the question, Government Roles is to stop answering to big pharma lobbiest and provide more funding for Mental Health and Substance Abuse programs. Rob rites the government should be trying to keep the legalization and misuse over previbing drugs. There needs to be a database of prescription so that flag can be raised to get prescribed the narcotics. We go back to the phone now charles, birmingham, Alabama Democrat line. What is the role of government if any on the Opioid Crisis . Caller i think you should not states that discriminate states that have constitutions like alabama, we have a constitution that says backs and whites should not marry. If you feel that way about blacks you should recuse yourself from making laws period if youre attorney general. He wants to make laws, be against black people. How can black people get healthcare and they talking about states rights and you live in a state where they are racist believe that blacks are different from whites shouldnt get married. Probably black people took care of them when they were babies. They wouldnt be in congress trying to pass these racist laws. Host charles, lets hear from stacy now. Back to the opioid issue here. From mcclain virginia. Independent caller. Caller good morning paul. Thanks for taking my call. Good morning america. What role does government play in the Opioid Crisis . They created the opioid crises. If you go to any city you can tell if youre legislator or congressman is a drug dealer. Prescription drug dealer. Based on all the dead citizens and orphan children that are left in the state. These people on capitol hill take Campaign Money from these Drug Companies. Doctors push these poison prescriptions out on the American People every time they write a prescription, speak at an engagement or write an article. They get paid for packing these poison prescriptions on to the American People. The governments greed created this Opioid Crisis. The government needs to be responsible for the actions that theyve taken that has killed their citizens. If you want to point a ping finger at anybody, turn around and point to that dome on capitol hill. They created this opioid out of greed. The need for Prescription Drug money, they have poisoned an entire country from greed. Host stacy thank you for calling. U. S. And state and local government lawsuits over opioids face uphill battle. This is a headline from reuters. Growing number of states and counties filing suit including Drug Companies deceptively marketing opioid painkillers. Some are saying the nature can pose a hurdle to their success. They talk here about ohio which we talked about earlier. Mississippi and counties in new york and california, city of chicago, have all filed similar lawsuits against these opioid makers and plaintiffs lawyers said more are on the way. Some of the lawyers think that the number of lawsuits could eventually snow ball. Resulting in outcome similar to the 206 billion settlement Tobacco Companies reached in 1988. Opioids unlike cigarettes at the time, are regulated by the u. S. Food and drug administration. Little bit whats going on. Theres also a big Economic Impact the joint Economic Committee holding that hearing last week on what an Opioid Epidemic and crisis means to the economies of various counties and states. Heres a little bit more from the Ohio Attorney general. Mike dewine. Mr. Dewine in a moment. While we get that clip ready. Well hear from sandra from alabama. Republican caller. Caller i think the government need to stay out of the lives of people. Theres two different sides to this drug thing. There are those who are young and have not been taught morals over a generation that havent been taught about the lord. They take it and they go with it. Theres some of us who are older, in chronic pain, were getting medication. Were getting up in the nursing home. Im raising four children that my daughter she passed away due to medicine. She was younger. Without the medication i get, im able to move, i wouldnt be able to raise those children. I hope the government officials take their time and dont just broad base everything like they always do. Theres two sides to everything. Host sandra thank you for calling. We have a clip now from the Ohio Attorney general mike dewine the Economic Impact of the Opioid Crisis. Its much more difficult to determine. But its huge. Absolutely huge. Is the number of people who are in ohio who cannot pass a drug test and cannot have number of drugs. You can never hire someone who cant pass drug test to be around machinery. You cant hire someone to be in charge of mcdonalds or burger king. The missed opportunities. These people are not living up to their god given potential with tremendous impact it has on their own family but impact it has on the state of ohio. Its just absolutely huge. I do kind of quiz when you talk to employers i say do you drug test . Yes i drug test. What percentage of people who come in here and you tell them have to take a drug test leave. Add to that percentage of people who come in here and so arrogant and stupid they take the test and fail it. Average comes back when you put those two numbers together is 40 . Its not scientific. Its anecdotal. It tell us some of the great loss we have. Host we go to myra now in massachusetts. Whats the role of government with the Opioid Epidemic . Caller well, i dont think theyre doing anything. Its more talk. My daughter passed away a year and a half ago. As the previous caller said if a kid can find someone who has fentanyl why cant the government find somebody who is selling fentanyl . She thought she was taking oxycodone and it was laced to fentanyl. Host where did the fentanyl come from . Caller a friend gave it to her. She thought it was oxycodone. All these people are drug dealers theyre addicts. She wasnt an addict. All you have to do is take fentanyl once and youre dead. I dont think the government is doing anything except doing people and trying she went through the d. A. R. E. Program that was a huge failure. Host what would be the number one thing that the state or federal government could do to help solve this problem . You think of one big thing. Caller they know theyre coming from china. They know the drugs are coming from mexico and china. If they know that, i guess that would be the biggest thing they could do is keep it out the country. Host myra thank you for calling from norton, massachusetts. Best to you. We have tony from greenwood Colorado Independent line. Caller good morning paul. Im looking at this from a different direction. Maybe a question you can raised with somebody you get on your panel one day. Im wondering how much what the death rate can be attributessed to suicide as opposed to accidental overdose. The reason i raised that, its timed because this is so much timed to the failing economy. Im wondering these drugs you take enough of them, go to sleep you dont wake up. If you lost everything and people lost a lot they cant find employment, have they turned to those drugs. Decided this is it. What you be looking for, what would the governments role be is so study. Has there been an inverse relationship with the death rate from these drugs and tapering of people who shot themselves. Another form of suicide. I think theres a large percentage of this thats suicide and not the accidental overdose. Only way the government can help solve it so to understand the problem. What are the reasons that people are taking these drugs. If thats true, if its true, the people are turning to opioids and ending their life that way, its become more of a death with dignity issue. Thats something that were going to have to explore because we kind of finding social safety net is being taken