The text appears to be a transcript of a podcast or video content discussing the opioid crisis in America and the role of major companies involved in it. The host or presenter starts by making a comment about the war in America and the impact it had, both positively and negatively. They then transition into a discussion about opioids, noting that the epidemic is ongoing in 2017, with over 47,000 Americans dying from opioid overdoses.
The host mentions a criminal case involving executives at Insys, a pharmaceutical company, which had a video allegedly made to motivate their sales force to sell a painkiller containing the highly addictive drug fentanyl. They then move on to discuss drug distributors such as McKesson, which was found to have shipped millions of doses of opioids to a small town in West Virginia, leading to a significant increase in opioid usage and overdose rates.
The host then delves into the role of Purdue Pharma, the manufacturer behind oxycontin, which is believed to have kicked off the opioid crisis. They discuss Richard Sackler, the former president of Purdue Pharma, who was deeply involved in the company's operations and marketing strategies for oxycontin. They also mention how Sackler's family, the Sackler family, are major donors to various cultural institutions worldwide.
The host concludes by stating that public accountability for the companies involved in the opioid crisis has been difficult to find. They suggest that the public should view the deposition of Richard Sackler, which contains damning information about his involvement in Purdue Pharma and the opioid crisis. The host encourages viewers to go to a specific website to watch the deposition and other related content.
Here are some possible key facts extracted from the text:
1. The text is a transcript of a segment from the HBO show Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, aired on April 14, 2019.
2. The segment focuses on the role of drug distributors, manufacturers and the Sackler family in the opioid crisis in the United States.
3. The segment cites various lawsuits, court documents and news articles that reveal the irresponsible and deceptive practices of companies like McKesson and Purdue Pharma, and the involvement of Richard Sackler, a former president and board member of Purdue.
4. The segment uses actors like Michael Keaton, Bryan Cranston and Richard Kind to dramatize some of Richard Sackler's statements and deposition answers, and urges him to release the video of his deposition to the public.
5. The segment also provides a website, sacklergallery.com, where viewers can watch the videos of the actors and access the sources used in the segment.