The Opioid Crisis refers to a widespread public health emergency characterized by a significant increase in the use and overdose of opioid drugs, including prescription pain relievers, heroin, and synthetic opioids like fentanyl. This crisis has led to soaring rates of addiction, overdose deaths, and social and economic repercussions across communities. Opioids are a class of drugs that include both legal prescriptions for pain management and illegal substances. The crisis emerged in the late 1990s as a result of aggressive marketing of opioid medications by pharmaceutical companies, which downplayed their addictive potential. The subsequent rise in prescription opioid misuse contributed to an increase in heroin use as individuals sought cheaper, more accessible alternatives. The opioid crisis has prompted extensive public health initiatives, legislative actions, and community efforts aimed at prevention, treatment, and harm reduction to combat the epidemic and support affected individuals and families.
The Sackler family and Purdue Pharma will pay $7.4 billion to address their responsibility in the opioid crisis. The agreement includes $6.5 billion from the Sacklers over 15 years and…