2. Misleading Claims About Addiction
To further drive sales, pharmaceutical firms boldly asserted that opioids carried a low risk of addiction. They often referenced a brief, flawed letter published in a medical journal as “proof,” while ignoring its lack of depth or scientific rigor. Marketing literature and educational materials repeated these misleading claims, shaping both prescriber and public opinion. According to the Mayo Clinic Proceedings, this misinformation played a critical role in fueling overprescription and the eventual explosion in opioid dependence.
