So if you'll remember a couple weeks back 60 minutes did a big story on the opioid

epidemic and what may be behind it what may not be behind it and they're following

it up on it with the Washington Post this Sunday night which I'm looking forward to.

Indeed and why don't we start here the ensuring patient access and effective drug enforcement

act of 2016 why that sounds like an enlightened and balanced piece of legislation is actually

been greeted with a chorus of voices according to the Washington Post calling for changes in the law

and that voice those voices include not only the attorney general Jeff sessions but 44 state

attorneys general and the head of the DEA to talk about the law and the repercussions of it

and who's howling for it to be reformed please welcome Scott Hyam Washington Post

investigative reporter Scott welcome how are you sir good morning I'm great we really appreciate

yeah it's it's our pleasure thanks for spending a little bit of time so tell us about this law

and how it came to be long and what the situation is now well we have to go back a little bit

in time the the DEA there's a division within the DEA that regulates the pharmaceutical industry and

they were very aggressive going after large companies that they believed were not paying attention

to the law that were sending lots and lots of doses of oxycodone hydrocodone viking and etc.

downstream to pharmacists and other facilities without really paying attention

to the to unusually large orders and frequency of orders and things that they're supposed to do

according to the law and they began to find these companies they began to hold the mechanical

they began to shut down their warehouses suspend their registrations and the industry started

fighting back they began to lobby congress they began to spread a lot of money around capital hill

and they got Tom Marino who was a Pennsylvania congressman to sponsor this bill this ensuring

patient access and effective drug enforcement act it sounds like a terrific piece of legislation but

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