‘YOU POISONED OUR LIVES’

Opioid Crisis Victims Give Sackler Family an Earful in Court

“I’m not sure how you live every day,” one woman, whose son died of an opioid overdose, said to members of the Sackler family, who were prohibited from responding in court.

More than two dozen victims of the opioid crisis had the opportunity to confront members of the Sackler family during an emotional court hearing on Thursday. “You poisoned our lives and had the audacity to blame us for dying,” said Ryan Hampton, a Las Vegas man in recovery from an OxyContin addiction. “I hope you hear our names in your dreams.” David, Richard, and Theresa Sackler listened and watched for about two hours as people from 19 states spoke about how the family’s company, Purdue Pharma, had ruined their lives. Many held up photos of dead loved ones, according to NPR. “I’m not sure how you live every day,” said Kay Scarpone, whose son died of an opioid overdose after serving in the Marines. The Sacklers, who have been ordered to pay $6 billion as part of the bankruptcy case, were not allowed to respond in court. Purdue has been accused of kickstarting and exacerbating the opioid epidemic that has killed more than half a million Americans since 1999.