Insert Rush Limbaugh Joke Here.

Pain is a debilitating problem. According to the Partners against Pain (PAP) website, "almost half of American households ( 44 million, or 43% ) have at least one family member who suffers from chronic pain...". This was discovered through a national survey of more than 1,000 chronic pain sufferers commissioned by Purdue Pharma, the main sponsor of PAP, and the company responsible for the development of OxyContin.
OxyContin, or Hillbilly Heroin as it is known, is one of the biggest drug problems the US has faced since crack cocaine. While it has proven results when taken correctly, it provides an intense high when ground up and snorted. This is no surprise to either the DEA or Purdue Pharma, as they are required to provide the following in a "Black Box" warning label on all OxyContin sold:

WARNING:
OxyContin TABLETS ARE TO BE SWALLOWED WHOLE AND ARE NOT TO BE BROKEN, CHEWED, OR CRUSHED. TAKING BROKEN, CHEWED, OR CRUSHED OxyContin TABLETS LEADS TO RAPID RELEASE AND ABSORPTION OF A POTENTIALLY FATAL DOSE OF OXYCODONE.

Unfortunately, Purdue Pharma didn't really care about any of this. They knew in 1995, the year they conducted a physicians survey, that doctors were concerned about OxyContins abuse potential. Purdues response? They encouraged their sales staff to lie. Or as the Federal indictment calls it, "Felony Misbranding with the Intent to Defraud and Mislead." No wonder they have been fined $634.5 million in addition to the $19.5 million they agreed to pay 26 states 2 days ago.
An interesting addition to this case is the mysterious appearance of Rudy Giuliani, of Giuliani Partners, and one of many running for the Republican Presidential nomination. Giuliani Partners lists Purdue Pharma as a client and there is evidence that Mr. Giuliani met with Asa Hutchinson, head of the DEA, in an effort to slow down, if not derail this investigation.
There is also talk of whether a $15,000 donation to the DEA for a traveling museum show by Giuliani Partners was an attempt to bribe the agency. I doubt this as I hope it would take more than that to bribe a federal agent, and also when one takes a look at the traveling museum show it seems to fit in rather well with Giuliani's mission in life since 9/11/2001. Promoting fear in the US public of Terrorists. The main focus of this DEA traveling museum isn't the abuse of narcotics or the growth in abuse of legal pharmaceuticals like OxyContin. No, the greatest problem we face, according to the DEA...Narco-Terrorism. That certainly sounds like more of Mr. Giuliani and this administration's idea of fear mongering, all right.
The crux of the matter is, though, Mr. Giuliani's attempt to sway a government official on behalf of his client, for his own monetary gain. I'm sure he'll plead ignorance, a popular defence these days, but he has tainted whatever good-will he supposedly earned as "Americas Mayor" after 9/11/2001.
As I heard someone say in reference to Dick Cheney, there is no line these guys won't cross if there is a couple of bucks on the other side.