It’s the economy, Stupid

For many years, a pharmacy operating out of a state strip mall shipped more than half a billion pain pills directly to veterans.

From 2006 to 2012, hundreds of thousands of pills a day passed through this “pharmacy” and were shipped across the country in a scheme to market these dangerous and often deadly pills to the bravest men and women among us.

Was this done by some drug kingpin taking advantage of wounded vets? No, it was the Department of Veterans Affairs.

This mail-order pharmacy still operates in a former Kmart in North Charleston. It is 1 of 7 the VA operates in the US.

Pills were shipped out often without proper oversight. All veterans had to do was see a doctor’s office, and within days they had enough pills to overdose 5 times.

Is the dramatic rise in opioid overdose deaths among veterans any surprise?

Many veteran friends of mine face the agony of post-traumatic stress disorder and need mental and physical pain relief.

We must not blame them.

We are a nation that honors our veterans, but what happened? Overdose deaths among veterans increased 65% from 2010 to 2016. Our health care system systematically turned many veterans towards opioids as an easy and profitable solution.

As a Marine, this not only breaks my heart. It angers me. A veteran dying from an overdose is one too many. Thousands of brave men and women died due to lack of concern or outright corruption.

Signs that give me hope:

• A state Department of Veterans Affairs, a cabinet agency of the Governor’s Office, will provide more for our veterans’ needs.

• Attorney General Alan Wilson may soon settle a lawsuit against major opioid distributors to bar them from selling pain pills with manipulative practices.

These same companies flooded the state with dangerous drugs, destroying families, ruining lives and killing our veterans.

My years as a Marine and state trooper taught me that a quick fix won’t solve this. Veterans are in the grip of a mental health and drug abuse crisis policy-makers and our government allowed to worsen.

If it can happen to our veterans, it can happen to anyone. Opioids’ insidious grip reaches to every corner of our state.

Synthetic opioids such as fentanyl have increased overdose deaths 9-fold in 5 years. Heroin deaths have increased 8-fold.

The DEA notes that 86% of all heroin came illegally across our border with Mexico. Even more despicable is that China is the primary source of fentanyl and uses it as a bargaining chip in trade talks. Chinese negotiators offer to crack down on the flood of opioids if we offer something in return.

If you or someone you know is fighting opioid addiction, you are not alone.

Contact your state legislators and hold them accountable to help save lives.

Rep. Chris Wooten of Lexington represents our county in the state House of Representatives.