Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty

by Patrick Radden Keefe

Prior to 1996, the triplicate states actually had a higher rate of overdose deaths than the rest of the nation. But what the team of economists discovered was that shortly after the launch of OxyContin, that relationship suddenly flipped. Overdose rates everywhere else started to climb much faster than in the triplicate states. Those five states were sheltered, enjoying “uniquely low” growth in overdose deaths, the scholars found. In fact, even after the triplicate programs were discontinued several years later, “their initial deterrence of OxyContin promotion and adoption had long-term effects on overdose deaths in these states.” By contrast, states with more exposure to OxyContin during the years immediately after it was introduced “experienced higher growth in overdose deaths in almost every year since 1996.”