Newly released documents from litigation involving OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma detail how the company’s controlling Sackler family pushed high-volume sales and higher-dose of the addictive opioid painkiller. The documents also show that the Sacklers have withdrawn approximately $10 billion from Purdue since 2008. The trove of emails, slide decks and charts has come to light following the announcement of an $8.3 billion settlement between the Justice Department and Purdue, which included guilty pleas to three federal felony charges—but no criminal indictments against the Sacklers, who will pay only $225 million.
Meanwhile, the New York Times reports on a new approach to treat addiction called “contingency management” that rewards substance users with money and prizes if they stay abstinent. The therapy is widely used in the Veteran’s Administration, but has not gone beyond pilot programs elsewhere. Critics argue that users should not be rewarded for taking drugs, and that the treatment is less effective after the prizes are withdrawn. But supporters say that while contingency management is not a panacea for substance use, many patients respond positively—suggesting that this therapy should be more widely studied.
And finally, votes are still being counted in New Zealand’s contentious ballot measure to legalize marijuana. In the lead up to the non-binding referendum earlier this month, polls showed a divided electorate. The bill includes regulations on sales and use that many say are stricter than for alcohol and tobacco.