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'Empire of Pain' explores the family behind Purdue Pharma

NPR's Book of the Day

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The History of Opioid Addiction

i discovered these emales between a series of executives at perd and also richard sackler, who was arthur sackler's nephew. And they talk about this drug, oxy conton, and the idea that its active ingredient is oxi codon - an opioid which is quite powerful. So there's this incredible exchange of vemales in which these executives say, you know, it's the strangest thing, american doctors mistakenly believe that oxicodon is weaker than morphine,. Even though it's stronger. Let's not do anything to interfere with that impression on their part. That strategy takes off. I mean, oxi cotton ends up being a block buster

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