2021-07-19 11:21:54

“Crime of the Century”: How Big Pharma Fueled the Opioid Crisis That Killed 500,000 and Counting

As the U.S. continues to deal with the fallout from the devastating opioid epidemic that has killed over 500,000 people in the country since 1999, we speak with Academy Award-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney, whose latest documentary;

The Crime of the Century, looks at the pharmaceutical industry’s methods in promoting and selling the powerful drugs.

“I realized that the big problem here was that we had been seeing it as a crisis, like a natural disaster like a flood or a hurricane, rather than as a series of crimes,” says Gibney. “You had these terrible incentives, where the incentive is not to cure the patient.

The incentive is to just make as much money as possible.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says U.S. drug overdose deaths skyrocketed to a record 93,000 last year — a nearly 30% increase. It is the largest one-year increase ever recorded, with overdoses rising in 48 of 50 states.

Democracy Now! produces a daily, global, independent news hour hosted by award-winning journalists Amy Goodman and Juan González. lOur reporting includes breaking daily news headlines and in-depth interviews with people on the front lines of the world’s most pressing issues. 

On DN!, you’ll hear a diversity of voices speaking for themselves, providing a unique and sometimes provocative perspective on global events.

Missed an episode?  Check out DN on FSTV VOD anytime or visit the show page for the latest clips.

#FreeSpeechTV is one of the last standing national, independent news networks committed to advancing progressive social change. 

#FSTV is available on Dish, DirectTV, AppleTV, Roku, Sling, and online at freespeech.org.

Alex Gibney Amy Goodman Democracy Now! Drug Overdose Drugs Free Speech TV Opioid Opioid Crisis The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention The Crime of the Century United States

Health

The Randi Rhodes' Show

Punishing the Wrong People

Punishing the Wrong People

Rising Up With Sonali

How Florida’s Black History Ban Impacts Youth Mental Health

How Florida’s Black History Ban Impacts Youth Mental Health

The Stephanie Miller Show

Marjorie Taylor Greene and The Spread of Misinformation

Marjorie Taylor Greene and The Spread of Misinformation

The Randi Rhodes' Show

The Worst Breach in History

The Worst Breach in History

Related

The Thom Hartmann Program

How America Became A Third World Nation?

How America Became A Third World Nation?

The Thom Hartmann Program

Is Tucker Carlson The New Neville Chamberlain?

Is Tucker Carlson The New Neville Chamberlain?

Democracy Now!

Top U.S. & World Headlines — March 20, 2023

Top U.S. & World Headlines — March 20, 2023

Democracy Now!

Julian Assange's Father & Brother Speak Out on His Jailing, Press Freedom & New Documentary "Ithaka"

Julian Assange's Father & Brother Speak Out on His Jailing, Press Freedom & New Documentary "Ithaka"

Proud Partners