A federal bankruptcy court judge on Friday said he would approve OxyContin-maker Purdue Pharma’s latest deal to settle thousands of lawsuits over the toll of opioids that includes some money for thousands of victims of the epidemic.
The deal overseen by US bankruptcy judge Sean Lane would require some of the multibillionaire members of the semi-reclusive Sackler family who own the company to contribute up to $7bn and give up ownership of the Connecticut-based firm.
The new agreement replaces one the US supreme court rejected last year, finding it would have improperly protected members of the family against future lawsuits. The judge said he would explain his decision in a hearing on Tuesday.
I see where you are going with your comment… But the short answer to your question is yes. This is because making addiction illegal doesn’t solve the underlying issues. It just drives addicts through the criminal system instead of the medical one. A person going through addiction should have safe and controlled places to use along with a firm pipeline of helpful services to help kick those habits and get back on their feet.
That said, the drugs you are referring to are horrible. But I highly doubt a person deliberately sought them out when their journey through addiction began. Likely they got those mixed in with their original habit and down the rabbit hole they went. Keeping substances and their use illegal will just keep the underground drug trades thriving for the users that still need their fix.