The Facts
Victims of opioid abuse and their families have given emotional statements in US Bankruptcy Court about the effect of the crisis on their lives.
Members of the Sackler family, the owners of OxyContin producer Purdue Pharma, have proposed paying $5.5B-$6B to settle thousands of opiod lawsuits.
The Spin
Narrative A
The Sackler family have profiteered from the opioid epidemic. They must be held accountable, and the original settlement didn't go far enough to bring justice to victims. Families like the Sacklers should not be given refuge in bankruptcy court.
Narrative B
Though far from perfect, litigious attack jeopardized a settlement that could've provided urgently needed resources for tackling the opioid crisis. If they want to do more to hold the Sacklers accountable, they should pursue criminal charges rather than more money.
