The nationwide opioid epidemic is the subject of a new HBO documentary, Crime of the Century, which explores the roots of the crisis, the role of the opioid maker Purdue Pharma, and the heartbreaking human toll it has taken over the past two decades. The film is a timely reminder of how Purdue bribed its way into billions of dollars of profit while leaving death and destruction behind. With overdose fatalities surging last year to a record 90,000, the majority opioid-related, we see the origins of the national tragedy and how Purdue deceived doctors and patients into believing that OxyContin was not addictive, and pushed the product to every corner of the country even as the death toll soared.
Meanwhile, as nationwide opioid litigation against Purdue and other companies continues, 24 states are trying to block a proposed $4.2 billion bankruptcy settlement with the firm, saying it would provide immunity from prosecution for the founding Sackler family. Calling the deal unprecedented, unethical and unjust, opponents argue that it would shield the family from further scrutiny and enable it to avoid liability for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Americans.
And finally, an editorial in the Washington Post urges the Biden administration to turn its attention to the opioid epidemic, noting that it is getting worse due to the isolation and hardships brought on by COVID-19. And as the Rosenthal Center has urged, the paper says Biden should make good on a campaign promise to commit $125 billion over the next decade to combat this national crisis.