Caitlyn Sutter examines how the Hulu miniseries Dopesick portrayed the new hope that can be found in America.
About two million Americans have a substance abuse disorder relating to Opioids. Seven out of ten deaths caused by a drug overdose are by Opioids. Clearly this is a large issue and can affect almost every person whether it's personal or just a family member or friend. When I had surgery I was prescribed Oxycontin to help with the pain. My mom was very worried I would get addicted to it, especially at such a young age. At the time I really did not understand why she was so worried, but after watching Dopesick I understand now. I tried to take the medicine and use over the counter medication instead. Fortunately I recovered well and did not get addicted but for many people this is not the case.
Finally in 2019 the first lawsuit against Purdue Pharma was taken to court. This would be the first of forty states to charge Purdue and just the beginning of many years of court dates. Although these trials do not undo the pain and death caused by the Opioid Epidemic I think it provides a little bit of hope.
Dopesick easily portrays American morals and the lack of it when it comes to large companies. Pain and addiction are also prominent themes throughout the show, however viewers can still find hope too. Between the scenes of people taking opioids and the Sackler family being greedy, there are the trials. This is where people can find hope. In these scenes people are being held accountable and it proves that America can change.
These trials have brought about a lot of change in the U.S. which helps people begin to find hope again. One example would be holding companies accountable. In the past the government has been afraid to step in on business affairs, which has done more harm than good. Purdue Pharma is not the only company to have lied and harmed their consumers. Companies from Listerine, Airbnb, Volkswagen, and Bing have all faced millions of dollars in lawsuits after being caught in a lie. However, the impacts of those lies were nowhere near as severe as what Purdue Pharma caused. An article from the Justice Department regarding the court cases states, “Today’s guilty pleas to three felony charges send a strong message to the pharmaceutical industry that illegal behavior will have serious consequences. Further, today’s convictions underscore the department’s commitment to its multi-pronged strategy for defeating the opioid crisis.” They continued on to share how Purdue did admit to producing and selling an opioid to the public when they knew that Oxycontin was in fact addictive. The article continues to list the rest of the unlawful acts committed by them including paying off doctors to prescribe more Oxycontin, dispensing opioids without a lawful prescription, and lying to the Drug Enforcement Administration in order to sell the opioids. The loss of 4.3 billion dollars should be a very big warning to other companies on what can happen when you deceive and destroy. More hope should be found because Johnson&Johnson have already been held accountable for their part in the Opioid crisis. In an article from the Office of the Oklahoma Attorney General it shares, “The evidence is clear that they must be held accountable for the public nuisance they caused and ordered to abate it.” The Sacklers have actually been under surveillance for many years even before Oxycontin. In one of the last episodes of the miniseries there was a scene set in 1962 where the Sackler brothers were taken to court because there had been evidence of false advertisement for their pharmaceuticals. They exaggerated their findings and paid doctors to recommend their products. In an article by STAT, author Gerald Posner stated, “The FBI investigated the Sacklers many times over nearly a quarter-century.” The government has been aware of all of the suspicious actions taken by this family for years but now they have finally decided to take charge. Throughout the entire show detectives and FBI agents work to combine evidence of Purdue’s wrong doings and lies. It took multiple years and was doubted to even make a case because of how powerful the company was, but eventually they were able to charge Purdue Pharma on multiple accounts. It is unfortunate that it took far too long for the government to actually step in but now it proves that there change and with that comes hope.
Hope can especially be found in the victims. These trials have allowed victims and family members of the Opioid crisis to confront the Sacklers. An article from PBS shared multiple quotes from family members as they released years of hurt and anger. One victim stated, “I’m angry, I’m pissed, but I move on, because our society lost a person who could have made so many more contributions. … You took so much from us, but we plan to, through our faith in God, move forward.” Although these words will not change what has happened or stop the epidemic, it still has helped these victims to find some peace. There was a sign of hope for Betsy when she was able to sign a petition to remove Oxycontin from the market and hold Purdue Pharma accountable. When Dr. Art Van Zee held up the petition Betsy looked relieved and hopeful for the first time since becoming an addict. This petition would help bring the case to court and ultimately lead to the downfall of the Sackler family. The Department of Justice also wants victims to find hope in these trials by stating, “We hope, also, that this guilty plea will bring some sense of justice to those who have suffered from opioid addictions involving oxycodone and some vindication for families and loved ones of those who did not survive such addiction." What has happened to these people is devastating and unforgivable, but with these trials and convictions there can still be hope within them.
Most importantly hope can be found in you. This show does a great job of exposing those who have no connection or knowledge of the Opioid epidemic to it. The trial does the same as well. When more people are aware of a situation and how to change it then there will be change. Dr. Finnix’s old nurse gave him hope when she recommended a treatment place for him, which allowed him to become sober. Betsy’s mom made sure she was there for her daughter and took her to meetings and helped sign petitions. In an interview the author of the book Dopesick expressed that, “only 12 percent of people with opioid-use disorders were able to access treatment in the last year. We’ve been spending billions, but a lot of that doesn’t reach people because we don’t have the infrastructures in place.” She also stated how her book, the show, and the news of the trial can help destigmatize the crisis. People have an image of a drug addict and oftentimes it is wrong. If people change their ideas and realize that anyone can be affected by this crisis then change can happen. In an article from PBS it states, “Most of the money would be used for efforts to combat the crisis, but $750 million would go directly to victims or their survivors. The overall settlement, which still requires actions by multiple courts to take effect, provides more than $150 million for Native American tribes and over $100 million for medical monitoring and payments for children born in withdrawal from opioids.” It is clear that with this new-found hope change is possible.
Although the Sacklers are in court they have never been charged or pleaded guilty in any of the trials. They are there as part of Purdue Pharma who is actually being charged. The Sacklers are coming out of this unharmed because they are only losing money. They will never personally face the consequences of their own actions because of the poor American justice system. These trials will not undo what has already been done. No amount of money taken from Purdue will bring back the dead. Nor have the trials decreased or ended the Opioid Epidemic.
In conclusion, it is unfair for the Sacklers to be immune to the law and to let them get away with no consequences, however these lawsuits are still heading in the right direction. It is obvious that ending this Opioid crisis will take time but it has to start somewhere, such as the trials. The public is now aware of the harm that Opioids cause and some of the money gained from the lawsuits is being donated to health programs. With our current knowledge and new changes in American justice, the Opioid epidemic is bound to disappear. Caitlyn Sutter currently lives in Phoenix, Arizona but is studying Animation at Bloomfield College in New Jersey.
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