Sackler Family's Opioid Settlement: Another Bug Hunt?

They're Coming Out of the Walls!

Alright people listen up. Ripley here. Seems we've got another infestation on our hands only this time it's not acid bleeding aliens. It's the Sackler family and Purdue Pharma. Word is they've managed to wrangle up support from 55 state attorneys general for a $7.4 billion settlement over that little… *ahem*… nationwide opioid crisis. You know the one they helped create with OxyContin? Makes you wonder what kind of deals go down behind closed doors. 'I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.'

The Company Way

So this settlement is supposed to resolve thousands of lawsuits claiming their pain meds turned into a real life nightmare. The Sacklers are coughing up about $6.5 billion and Purdue Pharma's chipping in another $900 million. Sounds like a lot right? But let’s be real these corporations and these families they bleed people dry and then think a few credits thrown their way is gonna fix everything. It's the company way.

Payouts? I Want Answers!

Apparently payouts will start once Purdue Pharma gets enough support for its Chapter 11 plan. Where’s that money going? Individuals state and local governments Native American tribes… the usual suspects. And the Sacklers? Oh they're just going to “cede control” of Purdue. Big of them. I just hope they're not planning on pulling a fast one and setting up shop on another planet with a new even more dangerous product.

Profits Over People?

New York Attorney General Letitia James said it best: "For decades the Sacklers put profits over people." No kidding. More like profits over human lives. And while she claims this money will “save lives,” I’m skeptical. It's like trying to put a Band Aid on a chest wound. I hope I'm wrong I really do. But I've seen enough to know these corporate types think about themselves first and then how much money they can pocket. Remember Burke's 'Can you hear me Ripley?' I can hear him fine just wish they would actually do the right thing for once.

Houston We Have a Problem...Again

Of course there are always snags. Oklahoma already took a $270 million settlement back in 2019. And the Supreme Court shot down an earlier deal that would have given the Sacklers immunity. Immunity! As if they deserve it after all this mess they created. It's a bureaucratic nightmare and I've seen enough of those on derelict space freighters thank you very much. What happens to all of this now I haven't got a clue.

Stay Frosty

Over 850,000 dead since 1999. Let that sink in. Numbers don't lie. The opioid crisis is still a very real threat and while deaths are supposedly declining I'm not letting my guard down. Not for a second. We need to stay vigilant. 'Stay frosty,' as they say. This isn't over until we're sure these leeches are completely eradicated.