Can opioid dealers really be worth $13 billion without breaking any laws?

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the weaknesses in healthcare systems and society's fault lines. Although efforts are being made to overcome the current crisis, we should not forget that previous crises have had a devastating impact, such as the opioid epidemic. This epidemic has affected people of all ages, races, and backgrounds, and has caused countless families to be torn apart. However, the root cause of the problem is not a shady drug dealer, but an illegal and highly profitable industry. One corporation, in particular, has been linked to the crisis more than any other: Purdue Pharma, the maker of the highly addictive painkiller Oxycontin. The Sackler family, who owns Purdue Pharma, is responsible for fueling the opioid epidemic through their aggressive marketing tactics and shady business practices. Addiction is a disease that affects the mind, soul, and body, and it is heartbreaking to see how quickly pain medication can become a lifelong struggle.

The Sackler family's first business was a small pharmaceutical company that manufactured and marketed Valium, a mild sedative that quickly became a household name in the 1960s. The Sackler brothers saw an opportunity to market their drug as a safe and non-addictive alternative to existing sedatives and invested heavily in advertising campaigns to promote it. Their efforts paid off, and Valium quickly became a blockbuster drug, generating billions of dollars in profits for the family. However, this success was only the beginning of their venture into the pharmaceutical industry. They went on to develop and aggressively market more potent painkillers, such as Oxycontin, which became synonymous with the devastating opioid epidemic.

The Sackler family's influence in the pharmaceutical industry grew, and they eventually became significant players in cancer treatment thanks to the development of drugs like taxol. However, their aggressive marketing tactics and shady business practices were soon linked to the opioid epidemic, which destroyed many people's lives, revealing the darker side of their pharmaceutical empire. The release of Oxycontin in 1996 was supposed to be a game-changer for chronic pain patients, but the family knew that simply developing an effective drug wasn't enough. They used their marketing skills and launched an aggressive campaign aimed at doctors, downplaying its addictive properties and convincing them that it was less addictive than other painkillers.

It's difficult to imagine the level of deception required to create such a false narrative, all in the name of profit. It's a tragedy that so many people became addicted and died due to the Sackler's greed and unethical behavior. Their marketing strategy had been a smashing success, and Oxycontin had become a billion-dollar industry for Purdue Pharma by 2001. The family had struck gold yet again, and the company increased production of the drug to keep up with demand. The opening of the floodgates quickly saturated the market with Oxycontin, and people from all walks of life, from suburban moms to high school students, began to obtain the highly addictive drug. It was a disaster in the making, but the Sacklers continued to profit, seemingly unconcerned about the human toll their actions were exacting.

The Sacklers' methods for promoting Oxycontin were unethical and deceptive. They pushed the drug on doctors, downplayed its addictive properties, and encouraged them to prescribe it for even minor pain problems. To make matters worse, Purdue Pharma went so far as to pay doctors who prescribed Oxycontin more frequently, creating a perverse incentive structure prioritizing profit over patient care. Patients became addicted to the highly addictive drug, and the opioid epidemic that followed left a trail of destruction and heartbreak in its wake.

As the use of Oxycontin increased, so did the number of people who became addicted to it. By the early 2000s, it became clear that the drug was causing a public health crisis, and Purdue Pharma began to face lawsuits and public scrutiny. The Sacklers, however, continued to deny any wrongdoing and blame others for the epidemic, claiming that they were simply responding to a need for better pain management. They even went so far as to blame addicts themselves for their addiction, arguing that they had made a personal choice to abuse the drug.

Despite their denials, evidence mounted against the Sacklers and Purdue Pharma, and in 2019, the company filed for bankruptcy in the face of numerous lawsuits. The Sackler family, however, still faces personal legal action for their role in the opioid epidemic, with many calling for them to be held accountable for their actions.

The opioid epidemic is a tragic reminder of how greed and unethical behavior can have devastating consequences. It also highlights the need for stricter regulations and oversight in the pharmaceutical industry to ensure that drugs are developed and marketed ethically and responsibly. We must learn from the mistakes of the past and work to prevent similar crises from happening in the future.