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Film Analysis: The Whistleblower

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In this documentary, Joe Rannazzisi, a former DEA deputy assistant administrator blames the drug industry for allowing the opioid crisis to expand and take lives. According to Rannazzisi, the drug industry is aware of their drugs killing people, yet they still sell their drugs to doctors and pharmacies that prescribe drugs to patients who have no need for that drug, causing them to become prone to overdosing. For those who have not seen the documentary, "The Whistleblower", Rannazzisi and other DEA members shine light on the drug industry's link to the opioid crisis, the drug industry's power and Congress's aid to the drug industry.
Opioid overdose is a problem in the United States. According to Stat News, there are 100 deaths a day from opioid overdose and drug overdose kills more Americans under the age of 50 than anything else. Deaths by drug overdose is becoming worse at a quick pace. According to the National Center for …show more content…

Ranazzisi claims that the difference between the small mom-and-pops that the DEA has arrested before and the drug industry is the amount of money and power the drug industry has. The drug industry's money is used to sway the mindset of many people. According to Rannazzisi, the drug industry uses its money to pressure top DEA lawyers into taking a softer approach. The drug industry, commonly known as Big Pharma, uses lobbyists to achieve their goal. According to Drugwatch, "From 1998 to 2016, Big Pharma spent nearly $3.5 billion on lobbying expenses — more than any other industry. In 2016 alone, it spent about $246 million — more than the defense industries and corporate business lobbyists combined". In 2013, former DEA agent Jonathan Novak noticed a change in the way cases by the DEA were handled. Although there was hard evidence in the cases against Big Pharma, they were not being pushed as they had been before. The supervisors did not approve of cases that they would have once approved

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