1. Aggressive Marketing of Opioids
Pharmaceutical companies like Purdue Pharma unleashed high-pressure marketing campaigns targeting doctors and healthcare providers throughout the late 1990s and 2000s. Sales representatives downplayed the risk of addiction, while touting opioids like OxyContin as a safe, effective solution for chronic pain. Advertisements and educational materials often exaggerated the benefits and omitted critical warnings. This strategy, detailed by The New York Times, fueled a dramatic rise in prescriptions—laying the foundation for the crisis that followed.
