America’s Public Health Crisis

Article Link

Trump drug czar nominee accused of hindering opioid crackdown

 

To hinder: To make more difficult. To stop progress.

 

“Smoking is hindering my ability to run the marathon”

“These new offices hinder morale”
”Our languages abilities are hindering our negotiation skills”

US President Donald Trump’s nominee for drug czar is accused of helping relax enforcement on pharmaceutical firms blamed for fuelling the opioid crisis.

To fuel: to give energy, or encouragement to

“Competition fuels innovation”
”The decreased work hours are fuelling productivity amongst the staff”
”This is a challenging problem, but it seems to be fuelling creativity in the office”

 

Pennsylvania congressman Tom Marino pushed a bill that reportedly stripped a

government agency of the ability to freeze suspicious painkiller shipments.

To be stripped of: to be forcibly removed of

”The new regulations have stripped us of our ability to compete in the                                                 marketplace”
”The company was stripped of it’s license, due to unethical practices”

His co-sponsor on the act was Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee. Both their states have been ravaged by opioids.

                        Ravaged: to cause spreading destruction

            “The American coastline has been ravaged by hurricanes”
“Latvian pig farms are being ravaged by African Swine Flu”
“Latvia was ravaged by rising unemployment after restoration of freedom”

Experts estimate the drugs could kill 500,000 Americans in the next decade.

Deadly addiction to opioids – a class of drug covering everything from legal painkillers to heroin – has been described as America’s biggest public health crisis since the spread of HIV/AIDS in the 1980s.

President Trump was pressed on Monday about the allegations surrounding his drug czar nominee that were detailed in an expose by the Washington Post and CBS News’ 60 Minutes programme.

During a press conference at the White House, Mr Trump told reporters he took the journalistic investigation “very seriously”.

“We’re gonna be looking into Tom [Marino],” he told reporters from the Rose Garden.

“He’s a great guy. I did see the report. We’re gonna look into the report.”

Mr Trump also said he would formally declare a national opioid emergency next week, as he pledged to do more than two months ago.

To pledge: to make a serious promise

”I have pledged to create more opportunities for minorities”
”I pledge to you that I will guide this company into the 21st century”
“He pledged to donate part of his salary to worthwhile causes”

Mr Marino and Ms Blackburn, both Republicans, helped force out an official at the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) who was taking on the drug firms, report the Post and 60 Minutes.

According to the investigation, they also introduced and lobbied for an “industry-friendly” bill called the Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act.

A DEA whistleblower said the legislation made it harder for the agency to prevent distributors from shipping pills to rogue pharmacies and corrupt doctors around the US.

T窗体底端

 

Rogue: To not belong to or follow cultural / social / legal rules or norms.

 

“Rogue construction practices have resulted in many low quality buildings in the area”
“The audit is inaccurate due to rogue accounting practices.”
“He doesn’t follow the rules, he is a bit of a rogue.”