Opinion: Beyond the Sacklers: Free-trade policies contributed to the opioid epidemic
The Sackler family was once celebrated for its philanthropy. Now the owners of Purdue Pharma are vilified daily as egregious contributors to the U.S. opioid epidemic, which has shattered so many lives. It’s now time to look more closely at the contributions of another praised institution: free trade. Free-trade policies are routinely credited for spurring economic growth, but they have also helped determine when and where Americans die of opioid overdoses.
The companies and individuals that “addicted America” should be held liable — but their misdeeds don’t explain why some groups and regions have been devastated by the opioid crisis while others are nearly unscathed.
