DEA seeks to hide some reasons for keeping painkiller numbers secret

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — In the federal government’s alliance with drug companies to conceal the number of prescription opioids supplied to pharmacies across the United States, the Drug Enforcement Administration and Justice Department are hiding their reasons for wanting to keep the pain-pill information under wraps.

The DEA and DOJ have asked a judge to reject The Washington Post’s request to unveil sections of a legal brief filed by the federal agencies to support their bid to shield the pill data from being made public.