Minister gets tough on opioid abuse, sets up police team to look at illegal trade

Healthcare minister Bruno Bruins is bringing in new measures to reduce the use of heavy opioid painkillers in the Netherlands, and tackle the illegal trade in pills. The aim is to inform people better about the risk of using the painkillers for a longer period. ‘The unnecessary and irresponsible use of heavy painkillers has to stop,’ Bruins said in a briefing for MPs. ‘We do not want to end up like America.’ On Friday the minister launched a website opiaten.nl...