Opioids: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
Why Hacker News recommends it
HN points to it as an informative, fact-heavy overview of the opioid crisis and Purdue Pharma.
What it is
A Last Week Tonight segment on the US opioid epidemic, tracing how prescription painkillers fed addiction and heroin use. It is the first of three episodes the show devoted to the crisis.
Recommended by 5 HN commenters across 5 different months, 2016 to 2024.
What Hacker News said
Strong rec pagade · 2024-07 · on “Supreme Court blocks controversial Purdue Pharma opioid settlement”
I recently watched these 3 episodes of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. Highly recommended. Opioids III: The Sacklers: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver ( [LINK] ) Opioids II: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver ( [LINK] ) Opioids: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver ( [this video] )
Recommends btgeekboy · 2016-12 · on “Heroin deaths surpass gun homicides for the first time, CDC data shows”
John Oliver did a segment on Opioids that's pretty informative. Have a look: [this video] The quick answer though is that it starts with prescription painkillers that are highly addictive.
Recommends drvdevd · 2017-01 · on “Seattle Is Opening First in U.S. “Safe Injection Facility” for Heroin Addicts”
> (under heavy regulation) ... and this is where most Heroin addicts start, actually, through prescription opiate use. Once a physical addiction is formed, heroin can be a cheaper or more accessible alternative to a prescription for say, Oxycontin. I thought John Oliver had a good segment on it: [this video]
Recommends partycoder · 2017-03 · on “America’s opioid epidemic is worsening”
John Oliver spoke about this in depth: [this video] Humor aside, he managed to compile an impressive amount of testimonials and facts.
Recommends dstick · 2021-12 · on “Judge rejects Purdue Pharma's $4.5B opioid settlement”
Good. For those that haven't watched them yet, there are 3 John Oliver segments on the subject that will back up the "Good." statement: Opioids [this video] Opioids II [LINK] Opioids III (this one focuses 100% on the Sacklers) [LINK]
Cites thrownblown · 2016-10 · on “Drug Agents Use Vast Phone Trove, Eclipsing N.S.A.’s (2013)”
methadone gets you just as high as heroin. the only difference is that its made by in a lab pharmaceuticals companies and controlled by the government. and methadone withdrawal is fatal too. this recent John Oliver piece on opiods holds a lot of truth: [this video] Benzodiazepines are far more addictive than opioids, and while their abuse has declined a bit, a lot of people still abuse xanax and klonopin, and before that valium. that' a lot of doctors directly and indirectly enabling all those addicts. why hasn't the war on drugs taken on the opioid and benzo manufacturers? it makes me wonder why pharmaceutical companies and their executives aren't locked up like the drug kingpins they are?
Cites sillysaurus3 · 2017-10 · on “The Family Making Billions from the Opioid Crisis”
For more on this, see [this video] "How many people here moved from prescription drugs to heroin?" Everybody raised their hands.
Cites yskchu · 2021-12 · on “Judge tosses $4.5B deal shielding Purdue's Sackler family from opioid claims”
Besides that episode, he made two others about the Opioid Crisis / Purdue Pharma / Sacklers, 3 in total since 2016: 2016: [this video] 2019: [LINK] 2021: [LINK] In addition there's some sites made by them as well (referred to in the video): [LINK] (with Bryan Cranston, Michael Keaton, Richard Kind, Michael K Williams) [LINK]