Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Guggenheim Museum Won't Accept Any Future Gifts From Sacklers, In Latest Sign Of Shifting Tide Against Family
The New York Times: Guggenheim Museum Says It Won’t Accept Gifts From Sackler Family
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York said on Friday that it did not plan to accept future gifts from the family of Mortimer D. Sackler, a philanthropist and former board member whose money has been met with growing unease in the art world as his family’s pharmaceutical interests have been linked to the opioid crisis. The Guggenheim’s decision was announced one day after Tate, which runs some of the most important art museums in Britain, announced a similar move, saying that “in the present circumstances we do not think it right to seek or accept further donations from the Sacklers.” (Stack, 3/22)
The Washington Post: Sackler Family Money Is Now Unwelcome At Three Major Museums. Will Others Follow?
The Sacklers are mired in legal action, investigations and looming congressional inquiries about their role in marketing a drug blamed for a significant early role in an epidemic of overdose deaths that has claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans since 1997. Is this a trend? These moves may affect immediate plans but won’t put much of a dent in the museums’ budgets. The impact on the Sackler family’s reputation, however, will force American arts institutions to pay attention. The Sackler family, which includes branches with differing levels of culpability and involvement with the issue, has a long history of donating to cultural organizations. Arthur M. Sackler, who gave millions of dollars’ worth of art and $4 million for the opening of the Smithsonian’s Sackler Gallery in 1987, died long before the OxyContin scandal began. (Kennicott, 3/23)
The Wall Street Journal: Sackler Family Actively Trying To Resolve Purdue Pharma Lawsuits
Members of the Sackler family who own OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma LP have become more involved in recent months in settlement negotiations to resolve the company’s share of more than 1,600 lawsuits accusing the drug industry of helping spark the nation’s opioid crisis, according to people familiar with the matter. Lawyers for cities and counties pressing claims have requested at least $10 billion from Purdue and its owners, the people said. Any potential settlement sought by plaintiffs would likely require more than just funding, such as treatment programs for people suffering from addiction. It isn’t known how close Purdue and other companies are to settlement, if one could be achieved. (Hopkins and Randazzo, 3/22)
In other news —
Pineandlakes Echo Journal: Sobering Portrait Of Meth Use In Crow Wing County Leads Officials To Outline Policies
Crow Wing County department officials recently painted a picture for the county board about the drug problem in the county and what they are doing about it. The number of county attorney drug cases increased from about 250 in 2015 to 600 in 2017, and the number of sheriff's office drug cases also rose from almost 50 to 200 during that period. (Lee, 3/22)
