> Purdue Pharma extensively misrepresented how to prescribe OxyContin to make more money, in a way that left people dependent. That's a far bigger reason for the opioid epidemic than illegal drug sales. The rise in illegal opioid use is a consequence, not a cause.
Additionally, it's not "just" Purdue and others (like the pill mills) at fault, they are just enablers following a demand.
There would be no supply without massive massive demand and let's be honest the majority of addicts didn't start out in hospitals with legit pain management. They search self-medication for issues caused by a lack of mental health care, physical health care and basic social safety networks.
A lot of the issues the US faces at the moment boils down to this as a root cause (and to condense it more, one ends up at systemic historical racism and massive wealth inequalities). Nothing can be solved alone, the US needs sweeping general reforms across the board.
It's not just Purdue, but Purdue lied to doctors and had doctors prescribe the pills in completely inappropriate manners that significantly raised the chance of ongoing addiction.
Those lies created a massive surge in demand. This was not a matter of just giving in to pre-existing addicts, but creating new ones.
There's a reason they've been sued into bankruptcy.
Additionally, it's not "just" Purdue and others (like the pill mills) at fault, they are just enablers following a demand.
There would be no supply without massive massive demand and let's be honest the majority of addicts didn't start out in hospitals with legit pain management. They search self-medication for issues caused by a lack of mental health care, physical health care and basic social safety networks.
A lot of the issues the US faces at the moment boils down to this as a root cause (and to condense it more, one ends up at systemic historical racism and massive wealth inequalities). Nothing can be solved alone, the US needs sweeping general reforms across the board.