‘You Caused So Much Loss’: Relatives Confront Sackler Family In Court

AP: 'Scum Of The Earth': Drug Victims Face Purdue Pharma Owners
Angry, defiant and sometimes tearful, more than two dozen Americans whose lives were upended by the opioid crisis finally had their long-awaited chance Thursday to confront in court some members of the family they blame for fueling it. They were unsparing as they unleashed decades of frustration and sorrow on members of the Sackler family who own OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma over the course of a three-hour virtual hearing. One woman played a recording from when she called 911 to get help for her overdosing son, then called one of the Sacklers the “scum of the earth.” Several displayed pictures of loved ones who died too soon because of their addictions. Many spoke about forgiveness, with some trying to find it — and others definitely not. (Mulvihill and Peltz, 3/11)

NPR: Victims Of The Opioid Crisis Formally Confront The Sackler Family
For the first time during the long legal reckoning over the opioid crisis, members of the Sackler family who own Purdue Pharma heard directly from people who say their company's main product, Oxycontin, wrecked their lives. David Sackler, Richard Sackler and Theresa Sackler listened and watched during the roughly two-hour long hearing as people described surviving addiction and spoke of losing loved ones to the epidemic. The Sacklers spoke briefly to confirm their presence, but did not respond to the testimony. (Mann, 3/10)

The Washington Post: Opioid Victims Confront Purdue Pharma’s Sackler Family: ‘It Will Never End For Me’
For 4,804 days, Kristy Nelson’s mind replays the 911 call she made when she discovered her only son’s lifeless body in his bed, recalling the excruciating detail of the aftermath of his overdose. On Thursday, she played audio of the chilling call for members of a family she holds responsible for her son’s death. Nelson said: “4,804. That is how many days have gone by since I made that horrifying phone call — a call that I never ever dreamed of making,” adding, “A call that I would not have had to make if it weren’t for your unlawful behavior and obsessive greed.” (Kornfield, 3/10)

Bloomberg: ‘I Do Not Forgive You:’ Opioid Victims Address Sacklers Directly
“When you created OxyContin you caused so much loss to so many people,” said Kay Scarpone, a New Hampshire resident whose son died of an overdose in 2015. Her son was a military veteran who became addicted to opioids after a deployment in Afghanistan. “We will grieve every day for the rest of our lives.” (Hill, 3/10)

The Wall Street Journal: Opioid Victims Confront Purdue Pharma’s Sacklers In Bankruptcy Court
Dede Yoder said that her son, Chris, died in 2017 of an overdose at the age of 21 after spending most of her retirement savings on addiction treatment and rehab, which mostly wasn’t covered by health insurance. Doctors first prescribed her son OxyContin when he was 14 years old following two knee surgeries, Ms. Yoder said. “I thought since the doctor prescribed it, it must be OK,” Ms. Yoder said. “I wish I would have questioned the prescription and said no, but I didn’t. I didn’t know how addictive it was. Nobody knew, except for Purdue.” (Randles, 3/10)

In other news about the opioid crisis —

The Washington Post: Federal Government Approves Experiment To Pay Drug, Alcohol Users To Stay Clean 
A new legal opinion from the Biden administration appears to clear the way for wider use of an underutilized harm reduction technique: paying people addicted to drugs for staying clean. Known as “contingency management,” the idea is supported by decades of research that shows providing repeated small payments for meeting goals in the recovery process has an outsize impact in helping people remain sober. The technique also has been used to help people quit smoking, lose weight and change other unwanted behaviors. (Bernstein, 3/10)

Stat: Veterinary Tranquilizer Xylazine Spreading Through The U.S. Drug Supply
It was in the mid-2010s, the researchers heard, when “tranq dope” took off in Philadelphia. They knew that “tranq dope” — opioids that contained the veterinary tranquilizer xylazine — was already a fixture in the drug supply in Puerto Rico and had sporadically turned up in overdose reports in Philadelphia as far back as 2006. But now, people who used drugs and sold drugs told the researchers that xylazine had become a sought-after substance, and it had become a much more prevalent element of the local drug supply. (Joseph, 3/11)

WLRN 91.3 FM: Free Narcan Is Available In The Florida Keys As Fentanyl Reaches Island Chain 
Maureen Dunleavy is with the Guidance Care Center. They provide behavioral health services throughout the island chain. And now they're also providing free naloxone, in the nasal spray version called Narcan. "While law enforcement and police officers and firefighters have been carrying Narcan for while, we've made it available to the regular community," Dunleavy said. Dunleavy said the dangerous synthetic opioids showed up first in mainland Florida cities, but have started to reach the island chain. "I think sometimes it takes longer to get to the Keys. However, we also have less resources because we're somewhat isolated," she said. (Klingener, 3/10)