I have twice been asked today if the news about Purdue Pharma requesting bankruptcy protection is a good thing. As in, does this mean they are suffering the impact of intense scrutiny and lawsuits. It’s a legitimate question. The problem is that my experience studying and following the activities of this company indicate that this…
I usually write about difficult social issues but this time, I thought I’d write about my instinctive talent for finding lost items. It started in an airport many years ago, perhaps in the 1970s. I came across a group of people that was milling around slowly, staring at the floor. Curious, I stopped and asked…
The news broke just a couple of days ago that Richard Sackler of the family that owns Purdue Pharma recently received a patent for a new drug to treat those addicted to opioids. At one time, news like this would not even have raised an eyebrow. But now, it raises plenty of eyebrows. Now, millions…
I looked at that doll clutched in that small hand and I was struck with with a dreadful thought about the possible impact of this doll. What if Barbie dolls had never existed? If we had no such doll, would breast augmentation and other plastic surgery be as popular as it is?
Several years ago, I researched the drug and alcohol addiction in every U.S. state and wrote articles about each one. When I got to Indiana, I was shocked by the situation I found in Gary, Indiana at the northern end of the state. As I often do when I write about a city or state,…
If you’re anything like me, you realize that the FDA is an agency that is not doing its job. It truly can’t be. The evidence is the opioid epidemic mess this country is immersed in that was triggered by criminal practices initiated by Purdue Pharma and followed by other pharmaceutical companies. FDA stands for Food…
Like hundreds of other cities, counties, states, hospitals, labor unions and even fire departments, the State of Tennessee has filed a lawsuit against one of the major manufacturers of opioid painkillers. In this case, the defendant is Purdue Pharma, a private company in Massachusetts responsible for patenting a time-release pain formula containing oxycodone. Their product…
There’s truth that opens the door to a better future and there’s truths that stop you in your tracks. In my work, I fairly often come across truths that cause me to stop, close my eyes and just absorb the sensation of this truth washing over me. These aren’t the best truths or pleasant truths but…