HHS Sec. on Death Penalty for Drug Dealers: ‘There Should Be Serious Penalties’ for Selling Legal Opioids

EXCERPT:

DOOCY: "The president has made it very clear this is a national health emergency. What’s he going to unveil today?"
AZAR: "So, the president today is laying out very bold actions and historic goals to stop this crisis dead in its tracks. So, he is saying that within three years we will reduce the prescribing of legal opioids by one third and within five years, all federal healthcare reimbursement programs and all federal healthcare providers will follow the best evidence based use of legal opioids. So he's got a three-point plan. He's going to prevent addiction from these legal opioids, he's going to reduce the supply of illicit drugs coming into this country and he's going to insure that we've got great treatment for those who are struggling with addiction from opioids."
DOOCY: "Mr. Secretary, we heard the president, it was a couple weeks ago in Pennsylvania at that rally he mentioned the possibility of perhaps death penalty for some dealers in some cases."
AZAR: "I think this shows the seriousness with which the President Trump and we take this crisis, meaning that if you are involved in the distribution of illicit drugs or if you are improperly using, selling, distributing even legal opioids, there should be serious penalties attached and serious enforcement attached to all of that."