368: The opioid crisis and big pharma

The boys drink and review a hazy IPA from Sam Adams, then discuss the opioid crisis and big pharma. Corporations are not necessarily evil. As a rule, they do important work that provides a service people are happy to pay for. But from time to time you get some bad eggs. The Sackler family is an example. They took advantage of a new class of drug, and new thinking about how to manage pain, and lied and cheated their way to riches. They convinced the medical community that opioids weren't addictive. (Based on one questionable study.) Doctors began prescribing opioids more than they should have, and a lot of people got addicted. It's a sad tale with lots of villains and victims. The boys give it a fun and sometimes humorous review.