>>> PICK A PLACE ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW IS THE
STATE TO START.
PICK SOMEWHERE YOU ARE FAMILIAR
WITH OR WHERE YOU GREW UP.
SAY SOUTH CAROLINA.
THEN ADD THE COUNTY.
SAY CHARLESTON COUNTY.
CLICK SUBMIT AND LOOK.
THIS AMAZING TOOL SHOWS YOU
WHICH DISTRIBUTORS WERE GETTING
PILLS FROM OPIOID MANUFACTURERS
AND DISTRIBUTING IN YOUR COUNTY.
IT SHOWS YOU WHICH MANUFACTURERS
WERE ALSO SHIPPING PILLS TO
THOSE DISTRIBUTORS IN YOUR
COUNTY.
COUNTY. THEN LOOK AT THE NEXT COLUMN.
PHARMACIES.
PHARMACIES. YOU CAN GO DRUGSTORE BY
DRUGSTORE.
DRUGSTORE. IF YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW MANY
PILLS THEY ARE DISTRIBUTING, YOU
CAN GO STORE BY STORE BY STORE.
PHARMACY BY PHARMACY AND IF YOU
WANT TO KNOW HOW TO MAKE SENSE
OF THE NUMBERS BEING
DISTRIBUTED, HERE’S AN EASY
DISTILLATION.
DISTILLATION. HOW MANY HIGHLY ADDICTIVE PILLS
WERE THEY PUSHING INTO YOUR TOWN
THROUGH THESE INDIVIDUAL
DRUGSTORES AND PHARMACIES?
YOU CAN TELL THE NUMBER OF PAIN
PILLS PER PERSON PER YEAR BEING
DISTRIBUTED INTO YOUR COUNTY.
YOU CAN DO IT THROUGH THE
WEBSITE OF THE "WASHINGTON
POST."
POST." WE POSTED THE LINK SO IT’S EASY
TO FIND.
TO FIND. YOU CAN DO THIS FOR ANY COUNTY
IN THE COUNTRY.
THE REASON YOU CAN DO THIS NOW
IS BECAUSE IT TURNS OUT THERE IS
A DATABASE OF EVERY SINGLE
OPIOID PILL LEGALLY SOLD IN THE
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. EVERY PILL DOWN TO THE ONE.
IT’S A LIST MAINTAINED BY THE
DEA THAT TRACKS EVERY PILL FROM
THE DRUG MANUFACTURERS TO THE
DISTRIBUTORS TO THE INDIVIDUAL
PHARMACIES.
PHARMACIES. ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
IT EXISTS SO THE DEA CAN TRACK
SUSPICIOUS SALES.
SUSPICIOUS SALES. THE BIG PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES
ARE REQUIRED TO REPORT A PAIN
PILL TO THE DEA.
THAT’S HOW THE DATABASE EXISTS.
WHO HAS ACCESS?
IT HAS BEEN KEPT SECRET AND
HIDDEN FROM THE PUBLIC VIEW
UNTIL NOW.
UNTIL NOW. A TEAM OF REPORTERS FROM "THE
WASHINGTON POST" AND THE GAZETTE
MAIL HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET
ACCESS FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS
NOW.
NOW. THE POST FILED A FREEDOM OF
INFORMATION ACT FOR THE DATABASE
AND IT WAS DENIED.
THE GOVERNMENT DID NOT WANT THE
DATABASE MADE PUBLIC.
MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE DRUG
COMPANIES REALLY, REALLY DIDN’T
WANT IT MEATADE PUBLIC.
THEY TRIED TO PRY THIS
INFORMATION LOOSE AND IF WHAT
PILLS WENT WHERE WAS MADE
PUBLIC, IT MIGHT GIVE THE DRUG
COMPANIES AN ADVANTAGE IN THE
MARKETPLACE WHERE THE HUNGRIEST
MOST ADDICTED MARKETS WERE.
VALUABLE INFORMATION.
VALUABLE INFORMATION. YOU KNOW HOW MANY PILLS YOU CAN
SELL?
SELL? WE CAN’T LET THAT INFORMATION
OUT THERE.
OUT THERE. THE DRUG COMPANIES HAVE TO
SUBMIT INFORMATION THAT ENDS UP
IN THE DATABASE AND THE DATABASE
IS KEPT SECRET.
THE REPORTERS WERE TRYING TO GET
IT MADE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE, MADE
PUBLIC TO THEM IN THEIR
NEWSPAPERS.
NEWSPAPERS. "THE WASHINGTON POST" AND THE
GAZETTE MAIL SAW A WINDOW WITH A
FEDERAL JUDGE OVERSEEING THE
SINGLE LARGEST CIVIL ACTION IN
U.S. HISTORY.
U.S. HISTORY. IT’S A CASE THAT CONSOLIDATED
ABOUT 2,000 DIFFERENT CASES ALL
BROUGHT BY STATE AND LOCAL
GOVERNMENTS AGAINST THE BIG
COMPANIES THAT MAKE AND SELL THE
PILLS.
PILLS. THAT FEDERAL JUDGE PREVIOUSLY
ALLOWED SOME OF THE PLAINTIFFS
IN THAT CASE TO THEMSELVES
ACCESS SOME OF DATA FROM THIS
BIG IMPORTANT MIND BLOWING
DATABASE.
DATABASE. IT WAS UNDER A PROTECTIVE ORDER.
EVEN THOUGH THEY COULD SEE IT,
THEY COULDN’T TELL ANYBODY ABOUT
WHAT THEY COULD FIND THERE.
IN A LEGAL PROCEEDING, THAT’S
KNOWN AS A GOOD PLACE TO START.
SO THE GOOD FOLKS AT "THE
WASHINGTON POST" TRIED TO BUILD
ON THAT AND FILED TO INTERVENE
IN THE CASE SAYING IF YOU CAN
LET THE LOCALITIES SEE THIS
STUFF, WE AS NEWS ORGANIZATIONS
AND THROUGH US, THE PUBLIC WE
SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET ACCESS TO
THE DATABASE, TOO.
THE JUDGE TOLD THEM NO.
BUT THE NEWSPAPERS DIDN’T ACCEPT
THAT ANSWER.
THAT ANSWER. THEY APPEALED THE JUDGE’S RULING
AND LAWYERS ARGUED THAT THIS
INFORMATION SERVED A PUBLIC NEED
TO KNOW.
TO KNOW. IT WOULD SERVE THE PUBLIC
INTEREST AND UNDERSTANDING AND
FIGHTING THE OPIOID CRISIS TO
KNOW WHICH MANUFACTURERS AND
WHICH DISTRIBUTORS SENT HOW MANY
DRUGS WHERE AND WHICH DRUGSTORES
SOLD THEM.
SOLD THEM. ULTIMATELY IT WAS A FEDERAL
APPEARS COURT THAT AGREED WITH
THE NEWS ORGANIZATIONS ON THIS
AND RULED IN THEIR FAVOR.
THE DATA WILL AID US IN
UNDERSTANDING THE ENORMITY OF
THE EPIDEMIC AND AID US IN
ENDING IT.
ENDING IT. WITH THAT, SIX YEARS OF DATA
FROM THIS MASSIVE DATABASE
TRACKING EVERY OPIOID PILL SOLD
IN AMERICA WAS MADE AVAILABLE TO
THE PUBLIC.
THE PUBLIC. AND THE MOST MADE THIS WIDGET
THAT ALLOWS YOU TO ACCESS IT IN
THIS CONVENIENCE WAY.
YOU CAN GET THIS DATA FOR ANY
PLACE IN THE COUNTRY.
PUT IN THE STATE AND THE COUNTY.
IT IS AMAZING TO SCROLL AROUND.
IF YOU PICK THE COUNTY WHERE YOU
KNOW AND CLICK ON THAT, YOU WILL
RECOGNIZE THE PHARMACIES THAT
POP UP.
POP UP. NOW THAT WE HAVE ACCESS THANKS
TO THE REPORTERS IN THEIR LEGAL
INTERVENTION, WE CAN ALL NOW SEE
FOR THE FIRST TIME WHAT HAS BEEN
GOING ON DOWN TO THE INDIVIDUAL
PILL.
PILL. THE NUMBER OF PILLS THE COMPANY
SOLD IN THE-YEAR TIME FRAME ARE
STAGGERING.
STAGGERING. FAR EXCEEDING WHAT PREVIOUSLY
HAS BEEN DISCLOSED IN LIMITED
FILINGS AND NEWS STORIES.
FAR EXCEEDING.
FAR EXCEEDING. I WONDER WHY THEY DIDN’T WANT
ANYBODY TO SEE IT.
YOU MAY NOT WANT THE COUNTRY TO
KNOW YOU ARE SHIPPING OUT MORE
THAN 12 BILLION HIGHLY ADDICTED
PAIN PILLS IN A YEAR.
12 BILLION PILLS TO A COUNTRY
WITH ONLY 320 MILLION PEOPLE IN
IT.
IT. I PROBABLY WOULDN’T WANT ANYBODY
DOWNLOADING THAT DATA EITHER.
WHAT THE POST HAS BEEN ABLE TO
GET THEIR HANDS ON IS DATA FROM
2006 TO 2012.
ALL THE REPORTERS WERE ABLE TO
GET OUT OF THE COURTS.
ONE OF THE AMAZING THINGS IS SO
MANY MORE BILLIONS OF PILLS WERE
BEING SHIPPED OUT THAN ANYBODY
KNEW ABOUT, BUT ALSO IT GOT
WORSE AND WORSE OVERTIME.
AGAIN, THIS IS A SEVEN-YEAR
PERIOD STARTING IN 2006.
OVER THE YEARS FROM 2006 TO 2012
LIT THE COUNTRY ON FIRE.
THE DEATH RATE STARTED
SKYROCKETING AND THE COUNTRY
STARTED FREAKING OUT ABOUT IT.
OVER THE COURSE OF THOSE SEVEN
YEARS, WHILE 100,000 AMERICANS
WERE KILLED BY THE DRUGS, WE CAN
TELL THEY KEPT UPPING THE
NUMBERS THEY WERE SHIPPING.
THEY WERE AT 84 IN 2006.
IN 2012, THEY WERE UP TO 12.6
BILLION PILLS.
BILLION PILLS. THAT MEANT THEY WERE SHIPPING ON
AVERAGE 36 HIGHLY ADDICTIVE PAIN
PILLS FOR EVERY MAN, WAND
BABY IN THE UNITED STATES.
YOU CAN CHECK TO SEE IF YOUR
COUNTY IS ON PAR FOR THAT OR IF
YOUR COUNTY WENT WHOLE HOG.
THE PER PERSON AVERAGE IN 2012
IS 36 OF THESE PILLS FOR EVERY
MAN, WOMAN, AND CHILD.
36.
36. IN NORTON, VIRGINIA, THE
SMALLEST CITY IN RARE VIRVIRGINI
WERE NOT SHIPPING 36 PER PERSON.
THEY WERE SHIPPING 306 PILLS PER
PERSON.
PERSON. OVER THE COURSE OF JUST ONE
YEAR.
YEAR. IT’S ASTONISHING.
IT’S ASTONISHING. THE OTHER THING THAT’S AMAZING
IS IT DOESN’T JUST TELL US HOW
THEY WENT UP AND UP AS THE
COUNTRY GOT MORE AND MORE
ADDICTED, BUT WHAT THE COMPANIES
KNEW ABOUT THEIR OWN BEHAVIOR.
THIS IS WHAT THEY KNEW THEY WERE
DOING.
DOING. THEIR OWN DATA THEY PLUGGED IN.
THEY KNEW.
THEY KNEW. THIS COMPANY’S SPECK KNEW THEY
WERE SHIPPING 4.7 MILLION HIGHLY
ADDICTIVE PILLS THAT YEAR INTO A
TOWN OF 4,000 PEOPLE.
4.7 MILLION PILLS?
WAL-MART KNEW IT ALONE WAS
DISTRIBUTING 3.4 MILLION
HIGHEELY ADDICTIVE PILLS INTO A
TOWN OF 4,000 PEOPLE.
THE DATABASE REVEAL WHAT IS EACH
KNEW ABOUT THE NUMBER OF PILLS
THEY WERE SHIPPING AND DISPENSE
WHEN THEY WERE AWARE OF THOSE
VOLUMES AND CASE AFTER CASE, THE
COMPANY ALLOWED THE DRUGS TO
REACH THE STREETS OF COMMUNITIES
LARGE AND SMALL DESPITE RED
FLAGS THEY WERE BEING SOLD IN
VIOLATION AND DIVERTED TO THE
BLACK MARKET.
BLACK MARKET. THEY HAVE BEEN REPORTEDING OUT
THE DETAILS THAT THEY PRIED
LOOSE FROM THE GOVERNMENT AND
THEY TO THEIR CREDIT RELEASED IT
FOR EVERYONE TO SEE FOR YOUR OWN
COMMUNITY.
COMMUNITY. CLICK ON YOUR STATE AND COUNTY
AND SEE THE NUMBER OF PILLS PER
PERSON UNLEASHED ON YOUR
COMMUNITY.
COMMUNITY. IT’S A REMARKABLE TOOL.
WE HAVE IT FOR SEVEN YEARS.
HOPEFULLY FOR EVERY YEAR.
A LOT OF COMPANIES WANTED TO
KEEP IT SECRET.
NOW WE ALL HAVE ACCESS THANKS TO
THE JOURNALISTS AND THANKS TO
"THE WASHINGTON POST" AND WEST
VIRGINIA’S CHARLESTON GAZETTE
MAIL.
MAIL. I DON’T KNOW IF YOU LOVE OR HATE
YOUR LOCAL PAPER OR DON’T
REMEMBER, BUT REGARDLESS, DO IT
ANYWAY.
ANYWAY. SUBSCRIBE TO YOUR LOCAL PAPER.
YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU TO.
SEE OW MONDAY.
NOW JOY REED.
I TOOK YOUR FIRST 58 SECONDS.
>> IT WAS VERY MUCH WORTH IT.
THIS IS DRUG DEALING AND YOU
TRANSPORT THIS BACK, THESE ARE
DRUG DEALERS.
DRUG DEALERS. WE ARE TREATING IT BECAUSE IT’S
PRESCRIPTIONS, SOMETHING OTHER
THAN DRUG DEALING.
THIS IS MASSIVE NATIONAL DRUG
DEALING RINGS.
DEALING RINGS. >> AT A CORPORATE SCALE AND WITH
CORPORATE DATA MANAGEMENT TO
MATCH.
MATCH. FOR WAL-MART TO KNOW, WAL-MART
TO HIDE THE INFORMATION THAT
THEY HAVE 4,000 PEOPLE IN
VIRGINIA, THEY SHIPPED 3.4
MILLION OPIOID PILLS INTO A TOWN
OF 4,000 PEOPLE OVER ONE YEAR.
THEY KNEW THAT.
THEY HAD THAT INFORMATION AND
THEY DID IT ANYWAY AND IT GOT
WORSE.
WORSE. ALL THE COMPANIES KNEW IT AND WE
NEVER HAD THE DATA TO PROVE IT
BEFORE.
BEFORE. >> NOW WE DO AND WAL-MART IS
PREYING ON THE POOR.
MASSIVE EPIDEMICS.
MASSIVE EPIDEMICS. THEY KIND OF EXTRAPOLATE.
WHEN PEOPLE ARE ADDICTED,
SOMETIMES THEY GO AND MIGRATE TO
OTHER NARCOTICS.
OTHER NARCOTICS. IT’S LIKE A COMBINATION OF THE
DRUG DEALING EPIDEMIC OF THE
1980s.
1980s. JUST CONSTANT DRUG DEALING.
ALONG WITH THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY.
THEY KNEW IT WAS KILLING PEOPLE.
IT’S LIKE THOSE TWO SCANDALS
COMBINED.
COMBINED. >> IT IS.
>> IT IS. ACTUALLY THE LEGAL EFFORT AROUND
TRYING TO HOLD THE COMPANIES TO
ACCOUNT PARALLELS THE TOBACCO
INDUSTRY INDUSTRY MORE THAN
ANYTHING ELSE.
ANYTHING ELSE. THE DIFFERENCE IS THAT THE PILLS
THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT AS
OPPOSED TO TOBACCO ARE ALL THE
MORE DEADLY.
MORE DEADLY. >> IT’S INSANE.
>> AND AMAZING WORK OF PUBLIC
SERVICE JOURNALISM.
SERVICE JOURNALISM. >> KEEP JOURNALISM GOING.