Why Matthew Perry drug charges won't solve anyone's ketamine problem
MSNBCAUG 2024
Doctor Pleads Guilty in Matthew Perry Ketamine Death Case
Above: Matthew Perry on Feb. 8, 2016 in London, England. Image copyright: David M. Benett/Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
Dr. Plasencia allegedly betrayed his sacred oath, viewing a vulnerable recovering addict not as a patient deserving compassion, but as a profit opportunity. His callous text reveals a physician who abandoned healing for greed, ultimately contributing to a beloved actor's tragic demise.
Narrative B
These prosecutions offer hollow comfort — mere theater masquerading as justice. While Dr. Plasencia faces charges, addiction's cruel machinery churns on unchanged. Perry would have found other suppliers; demand never dies with dealers. True healing requires treating addiction's roots, not punishing its symptoms with performative arrests.