2007年VOA标准英语-Oxycontin Manufacturer Lied About Dangers of Dr

By Melinda Smith
Washington
14 May 2007
 

Top executives of the company that makes a powerful painkiller¹ called Oxycontin admitted this week they lied about the drug's addictive² qualities in order to boost sales.  As VOA's Melinda Smith reports, worldwide abuse of prescription³ drugs, such as Oxycontin, is almost as widespread as illegal drug use.

Oxycontin can be a legitimate⁴ blessing⁵ for many patients in great pain.  The tablets contain between 10 and 160 milligrams of the drug in a timed-release form, which can provide as much as 12 hours of relief.  But many addicts⁶ get a fast 'high' by crushing the pill before taking it.

Two people who know what Oxycontin can do are Jack⁷ Osbourne, the son of rock singer Ozzie Osbourne, and radio talk show host, Rush Limbaugh.

"Your body just craves⁸ it and the fact that it was like heroin⁹ - I was, like, 'right on’," said Osbourne.

"I am addicted¹⁰ to prescription pain medication," admitted Limbaugh.

In recent years, emergency room doctors have treated a growing number of addicts who overdosed on Oxycontin.  Some lived.  Others did not. 

John Brownlee is a prosecutor¹¹ who charged the drug's maker¹² with lying about the drug's potential dangers. "They disregarded those warnings and continued to fraudulently market Oxycontin, claiming that it was less subject to abuse, less addictive, and less likely to cause withdrawal¹³ symptoms when they in fact knew that was not true."

The drug company, Purdue Pharma, has admitted misleading physicians and the public about the risks of Oxycontin.  Purdue Pharma has admitted responsibility for misleading statements by some of its employees.

Under the legal settlement, Purdue Pharma will pay $643 million in fines. Families whose relatives used Oxycontin say that is a small amount compared to the $10 billion in sales the company earned while the fraudulent marketing¹⁴ campaign was underway.

1 painkiller   

n.止痛药

参考例句：

• I shall persuade him to take the painkiller.我将说服他把药吃下去。
• The painkiller only provides him a short respite from his pain.止痛药仅仅让他在疼痛中有短暂的疏解。

2 addictive   

adj.(吸毒等)使成瘾的，成为习惯的

参考例句：

• The problem with video game is that they're addictive.电子游戏机的问题在于它们会使人上瘾。
• Cigarettes are highly addictive.香烟很容易使人上瘾。

3 prescription   

n.处方，开药；指示，规定

参考例句：

• The physician made a prescription against sea- sickness for him.医生给他开了个治晕船的药方。
• The drug is available on prescription only.这种药只能凭处方购买。

4 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

5 blessing   

n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿

参考例句：

• The blessing was said in Hebrew.祷告用了希伯来语。
• A double blessing has descended upon the house.双喜临门。

6 addicts   

有…瘾的人( addict的名词复数 )； 入迷的人

参考例句：

• a unit for rehabilitating drug addicts 帮助吸毒者恢复正常生活的机构
• There is counseling to help Internet addicts?even online. 有咨询机构帮助网络沉迷者。 来自超越目标英语 第3册

7 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

8 craves   

渴望，热望( crave的第三人称单数 )； 恳求，请求

参考例句：

• The tree craves calm but the wind will not drop. 树欲静而风不止。
• Victory would give him a passport to the riches he craves. 胜利将使他有机会获得自己梦寐以求的财富。

9 heroin   

n.海洛因

参考例句：

• Customs have made their biggest ever seizure of heroin.海关查获了有史以来最大的一批海洛因。
• Heroin has been smuggled out by sea.海洛因已从海上偷运出境。

10 addicted   

adj.沉溺于....的，对...上瘾的

参考例句：

• He was addicted to heroin at the age of 17.他17岁的时候对海洛因上了瘾。
• She's become addicted to love stories.她迷上了爱情小说。

11 prosecutor   

n.起诉人；检察官，公诉人

参考例句：

• The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。
• The prosecutor would tear your testimony to pieces.检查官会把你的证言驳得体无完肤。

12 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

13 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

14 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。