Sign up to receive Peter's email newsletter: https://bit.ly/4c602k2 Patrick Radden Keefe is an award-winning staff writer at The New Yorker and the bestselling author of Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty. In this episode, Patrick tells the story of the Sackler family and Purdue Pharma - makers of the pain management drug OxyContin, providing the backdrop for the ensuing opioid epidemic and public health crisis. He reveals the implicit and sometimes explicit corruption of all parties involved in the development, approval, and marketing of OxyContin, leading to a cascade of unintended consequences including addiction and death. He explains the unfortunate lack of accountability for the current crisis, as well as what it all means for those with legitimate pain management needs. Finally, he examines the difficult path ahead towards finding a solution. Show notes page: https://bit.ly/3dv2HFS We discuss: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:00:10 - Patrick’s investigation into distribution and use of drugs in our society 00:06:32 - The scale of of the opioid crisis 00:09:19 - The Sackler brothers: family life, career in the pharmaceutical industry, and role in the current crisis 00:17:05 - Purdue Pharma: origins, early years, and move towards pain management drugs 00:27:15 - The development of OxyContin: its conception, marketing, and the controversy around the FDA approval process 00:46:21 - Early reports of OxyContin addiction and unintended consequences and how Purdue Pharma sidestepped responsibility 00:54:35 - The many paths to addiction and abuse of OxyContin and the ensuing downfall of Purdue Pharma 01:06:33 - Peter’s personal experience with OxyContin 01:19:44 - Pain—the “fifth vital sign,” how doctors are trained in pain management, and the influence of money 01:30:17 - Other players that helped facilitate the eventual opioid crisis 01:39:48 - Lack of accountability following the investigation and prosecution of Purdue and the Sackler family 01:54:36 - Legacy of the Sackler family and their disconnect from reality 02:04:12 - Patrick’s views on the regulation and use of pain management drugs 02:07:46 - The difficult path forward -------- About: The Peter Attia Drive is a weekly, ultra-deep-dive podcast focusing on maximizing health, longevity, critical thinking…and a few other things. With over 35 million episodes downloaded, it features topics including fasting, ketosis, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, mental health, and much more. Peter is a physician focusing on the applied science of longevity. His practice deals extensively with nutritional interventions, exercise physiology, sleep physiology, emotional and mental health, and pharmacology to increase lifespan (delay the onset of chronic disease), while simultaneously improving healthspan (quality of life). Learn more: https://bit.ly/3EzGm5Y Subscribe to receive exclusive subscriber-only content: https://bit.ly/3DJhZln Sign up to receive Peter's email newsletter: https://bit.ly/3rIphDf Connect with Peter on: Facebook: http://bit.ly/PeterAttiaMDFB Twitter: http://bit.ly/PeterAttiaMDTW Instagram: http://bit.ly/PeterAttiaMDIG Subscribe to The Drive: Apple Podcast: http://bit.ly/TheDriveApplePodcasts Overcast: http://bit.ly/TheDriveOvercast Spotify: http://bit.ly/TheDriveSpotify Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/TheDriveGoogle