Shouldn’t drug companies be responsible for environmental safety like oil companies, chemical companies or waste management companies? After all, human beings are our most valuable natural resource. Drug manufacturers are allowed to destroy our lives with addictive and dangerous prescription drugs, but are never held fully accountable for that damage by being forced to pay for a drug rehab program that will restore that damaged human being to his natural, healthy state.

On December 1st several government agencies filed suit against Regal Stone Ltd. of Hong Kong, the company’s insurer and the pilot John Cota for the oil spill in the San Francisco Bay. There will be little doubt that in the end the company or someone will have to return the bay and the environment around it back into its original condition so the bay and its wild life can survive.

Last summer Purdue Pharma was fined hundreds of millions of dollars for its role in exploiting their drug OxyContin , but no attention was paid to the people who are now addicted to OxyContin  as a result of their behavior. The fine should have been the beginning, they should also be put to the task of returning our  environment to its original condition and setting up a fund to not only educate the public to the risks of this dangerous drug but also to  help people get through a medical drug detox and then through a drug rehab.

If drug companies were forced to use some of their own windfall profits to not only educate the nation on the dangers of prescription drug addiction – of course the companies would have to give money to those education groups that have no connection to the pharmaceutical industry, and no lobbying efforts would be allowed - but also to contribute to drug rehab, as a nation we could at least make a dent in this growing epidemic.

Popularity: 2% [?]