The New Yorker has a lengthy feature article about the Sackler family. You might say, “Who are they?” Staying definitely under the radar, this wealthy dynasty (with fortunes greater than the Rockefellers) own and operate Purdue Pharma, the company largely responsible for initiating and promoting the chaos of the national opioid epidemic.
The means of promotion and denial of damages reminds me so much of the tobacco companies – promote a deadly addicting product, deny the harmful side-effects and go to court to defend oneself.
Even today Purdue ran a full page advertisement in the Wall Street Journal proclaiming, “We manufacture prescription opioids. How could we not help fight the prescription and illicit opioid abuse crisis?” In the ad there is no apology, no promise of centers for addiction treatment, and no promise that their misleading promotional techniques will be restricted elsewhere in the world. They fail to mention the many lawsuits that they have settled in order to avoid going to court. In time, it’s estimated that the lawsuits may put them out of business. But what about the Sacklers? Will their attorneys be able to shield them from individual liability?
This is more than appalling. It is placing personal greed above the public good and ruining lives and killing others. I say ‘SACK THE SACKLERS’ I hope they are sent to jail and must endure no hopitalization or medicare care until they scream out “We were so wrong, so ‘entitled’ and so thoughtless. IS there anything left we can do” Only then would I want to hear from them again.