Originally Posted by MrHorspwer
Originally Posted by billt460
If Smith & Wesson ships a large number of AR-15's to a
licensed FFL dealer, in a given town, and that dealer indiscriminately sells them to unqualified people who should not have them, is that S&W's fault?
If Smith & Wesson had even a whiff that something was amiss and an FFL was skirting selling requirements, yet they continued shipping and selling to that FFL, I would absolutely hold S&W accountable.
What you're describing is plausible deniability. Plausible deniability is the tool of cheats, sneaks, and liars.
Pharma knew something was up and they continued. How well is plausible deniability holding up for them in court? Not very well, I suppose:
Quote
Purdue Pharma offers $10-12 billion to settle opioid claims
Originally Posted by billt460
Going by your example, why didn't Wal-Mart or CVS start asking questions and making phone calls? They were the people who were putting all of these drugs directly into the peoples hands within their own community. Licensed pharmacists are not idiots. They knew the numbers were way out of whack before anyone else did.
I'm glad you brought that up. They're also culpable. They're getting their day in court too. McKesson is a distributor. CVS, Walgreens, and a number of other distributors and pharmacies are also named in other suits:
McKesson Agrees to Pay Record $150 ...uspicious Orders of Pharmaceutical Drugs
Thanks for supporting my point.
A firearm, when used properly, causes death. The manufacturers know that -and they're even required to stamp it into the barrel of every gun. Everyone, right down to the lowest common denominator, knows that guns can kill you. [Side note: At this point you're probably thinking I'm some kind of screaming liberal. Be it known: You can have my guns after I've shot my last box of ammo and you pry them from my cold, dead hands].
Not everyone knows that virtually everyone on this planet can become addicted to a substance. The CEOs of "big pharma" companies (many of which have degrees in medicine or chemistry etc) know very darn well that about 10% of the population is predisposed to addiction more-so than the rest of society. -And those clever people found a way to legally sell pills that would hook those people like fish in a barrel.
Here's a quote from someone earlier in this thread:
"It didn't matter because I never became addicted. Again, I followed the directions on the prescription bottle. "Every 4 hours, with no more than 4 pills in a 24 hour period", does not mean take 15 a day, and you'll get a great buzz on. This is what is happening".
Congratulations to the person who wrote that because you now know, you're not part of that 10% of addictive people. On the flip-side, I know both a former police officer and a florist who are the nicest, most respectable people you would ever want to meet. One got their elbow shattered in the line of duty, the other got hit by a truck while coming to work one day. Neither were drinkers or smokers prior to their injury. The police officer was given painkillers for 30 days and he took them as prescribed. AND GUESS WHAT? Unlike the quoted person, he did feel an incredible buzz from the very first time he took one of those pills. This was in the early 80's long before everyone knew pain pills can get you hooked. He had no clue what was happening. The florist did not feel a buzz but, since she had a shattered hip and broken back, she was given intra-veneous pain meds for a couple months and then given pills for months afterward. The result is that it re-wired her brain chemistry and she was then addicted.
Both of these people spent the next decade fixing their ruined lives. They tried through willpower. They tried to ween off. They tried to drink alcohol instead... They tried to get off those drugs with every ounce of energy they had.
"Big Pharma" new DARN WELL this was going to happen exactly the same way Britain knew opium was going to devastate the Chinese!
A great many people have hormones and brain chemistry that predisposes them to addiction. Their level of addiction is just as unpredictable as someone else's predisposition to other mental issues like depression or medical conditions like rheumatism, acne -and yes, even kids that get cancer!
And at the risk of sounding sarcastic, if you choose to not believe that, here's a song for you:
Boy the way Glen Miller played,
Songs that made the hit parade,
Guys like us we had it made,
Those were the days,
And you know where you were then,
Girls were girls and men were men,
Mister we could use a man like Herbert Hoover again,
Didn't need no welfare states
Everybody pulled his weight,
Gee our old Lasalle ran great,
Those were the days.
(For those too young to understand, look up "Archie Bunker").