Who is to blame for the Opioid Crisis in America? This question has been rattling in the minds of civilians, doctors, lawyers, and politicians for several decades. After all, our country is suffering through one of the most terrifying health epidemics since the AIDS outbreak in the 1970s and 1980s, so it would be obvious that people would want to blame someone or something in midst of such pain and suffering. So, who or what is responsible? While it is hard to pinpoint if politicians, doctors, or addicts are entirely to blame, researchers have recently shed light on a legal case involving Purdue Pharma, a big-brand opioid producer. Based on the information from the lawsuit, legal officials are directly targeting this company for profiting from the opioid epidemic. Let’s take a closer look and find out some more information.
Profiting from Drugs, Fueling Deaths
As part of the recent court ruling (held on Monday, January 28, 2019), legal officials worked hard to shed light on a major company and a prestigious (albeit notorious) family and their connections to the American Opioid Crisis. In the lawsuit, the authors launched accusations at Purdue Pharma and the Sackler Family for the aggressive promotion of OxyContin, a remarkably dangerous painkiller that has been at the heart of this crisis since the beginning. Although the suit has been edited since that time, Judge Janet Sanders (Suffolk County Superior Court) ordered the document to be released by the public no later than February 1, 2019.
Connections to the Sackler Family
Worth an estimated $13 billion (as reported by Forbes), the Sackler Family is renowned for their philanthropic work around the world and has imprinted its name on a variety of notable locations including the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York City, New York), the Sackler Museum (Beijing, China), and the Royal Academy (London, England). However, the family has also gained notoriety over the years for producing OxyContin through their company Purdue Pharma. According to one author of the lawsuit, the Sackler Family was directly involved in the deceptive marketing practices that promoted this deadly substance.
Seeking Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder
At this time, we Americans are fighting through one of the most infamously dangerous health epidemics of all time, one that doesn’t seem to be losing steam anytime soon. Overall, this is unfortunate, considering the potential benefits of some drugs at the epicenter. While helpful at times, though, opioids are extremely potent and dangerous drugs that have a high risk for abuse and addiction. If you are ever instructed to take these medications, proceed with caution. Follow the instructions to the letter and never take more than the required dose. Although they might be able to help people cope with pain (chronic or injury-related), these drugs can still wreak havoc on the mind and body.
If you are suffering from a severe case of opioid use disorder or have a friend or loved one who is coping with this illness, get in touch with Asana Recovery today. Our professional team of counselors and healthcare experts will help you endure the painful process detox and withdrawal and guide you through each step of the rehabilitation process to help you separate yourself from these deadly painkillers.
If you want to find out more about our residential treatment or supervised detoxification/withdrawal programs or enroll in one of these programs today, we are ready and waiting to speak with you at your leisure and your disclosure. Call Asana now at (949) 438-4504 to learn how you can overcome your attachment to opioid painkillers.
