Don't blame opioid crisis only on the Sacklers

+ how omicron gets better at evading vaccines; monarch butterflies join the Red List US Edition - Today's top story: The opioid crisis isn’t just the Sacklers’ fault – and making Purdue Pharma pay isn’t enough on its own to fix the pharmaceutical industry’s deeper problems [View in browser]( US Edition | 26 July 2022 [The Conversation]( A reckoning is underway regarding the tens of thousands of Americans who have died from overdoses, and the lives destroyed from addiction to prescription opioids. Many companies that profited greatly from the excessive sales of painkillers are now reaching settlements that will force drugmakers, distributors and other firms to pay billions to governments and survivors. One of those companies belongs to two branches of a single family: the Sacklers. Until recently, they were better known for their support for the arts and higher education than their connection to the opioid crisis through their ownership of Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin. As much of this litigation wraps up, it’s tempting to blame them for the entire opioid crisis. Although they did play a pivotal role, David Herzberg, a University at Buffalo historian who researches addictive prescription drugs, [argues that Purdue’s misbehavior points to broader problems in the pharmaceutical industry](. Until those problems are fixed, he warns, “the unhappy history of addictive prescription drugs will keep repeating itself.” Also today: - [How to find meaningful social connections]( - [The many language sources of Esperanto]( - [How social media is driving an uptick in antisemitism]( Emily Schwartz Greco Philanthropy + Nonprofits Editor It’s too easy to sell dangerous prescription drugs. Peter Dazeley/The Image Bank via Getty Images [The opioid crisis isn’t just the Sacklers’ fault – and making Purdue Pharma pay isn’t enough on its own to fix the pharmaceutical industry’s deeper problems]( David Herzberg, University at Buffalo Making them pay is important but it’s not going to stop drugmakers from endangering public health. Health + Medicine - [How the omicron subvariant BA.5 became a master of disguise – and what it means for the current COVID-19 surge]( Suresh V. Kuchipudi, Penn State Face masks are still an effective way to help stop the spread of the BA.5 subvariant. - [Feeling connected enhances mental and physical health – here are 4 research-backed ways to find moments of connection with loved ones and strangers]( Dave Smallen, Metropolitan State University Psychology researchers know what kinds of behavior enhance feelings of social connection. Environment + Energy - [Monarch butterflies join the Red List of endangered species, thanks to habitat loss, climate change and pesticides]( Kristen A. Baum, Oklahoma State University The iconic monarch butterfly has been added to the Red List of endangered species, but hasn’t received protection in the US yet. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Economy + Business - [3 reasons US coal power is disappearing – and a Supreme Court ruling won’t save it]( Rebecca J. Davis, Stephen F. Austin State University An economist explains coal power’s rise and fall in charts. Politics + Society - [A brief history of Esperanto, the 135-year-old language of peace hated by Hitler and Stalin alike]( Joshua Holzer, Westminster College Created in Europe during a time of intercultural struggle and strife, Esperanto was meant as a communication tool to spread peace among the people of the world. Its speakers are still at it. Ethics + Religion - [There is a lot of antisemitic hate speech on social media – and algorithms are partly to blame]( Sabine von Mering, Brandeis University; Monika Hübscher, University of Duisburg-Essen Antisemitism today does not always appear in the form of traditional hate speech. It manifests in GIFs, memes, vlogs, comments and reactions on social media platforms. - [Proclaim debt amnesty throughout all the land? A biblical solution to a present-day problem]( Eva von Dassow, University of Minnesota A scholar of the ancient Near East explains how loan forgiveness was handled thousands of years ago in the Bible and royal decrees. Science + Technology - [Russians reportedly building a satellite-blinding laser – an expert explains the technology]( Iain Boyd, University of Colorado Boulder Build a powerful enough laser, and you can shine it into space. Aim it well, and you can blind satellites. Education - [What is Title IX? 4 essential reads]( Kiersten Tate, The Conversation Scholars discuss topics that are related to Title IX, such as sexual misconduct on college campuses and bans on transgender athletes in high school sports. From our international editions - [Pope’s long-awaited apology for Indian Residential Schools in Canada is a ‘first step’]( - [The Marburg virus: urgent need to contain this close cousin of Ebola]( - [Monkeypox: World Health Organization declares it a global health emergency – here’s what that means]( Reader Comments 💬 “Our ancestors developed many strategies for keeping food safe to eat when no one had dreamt of refrigeration, canning, or artificial preservatives. Techniques like pickling, salting, drying, and smoking were used for millennia, and the fact that we’re here today is proof of the effectiveness of these methods as well as the utter silliness of an expiration date on a jar of gherkins.” – Reader Medora Van Denburgh on the story [Food expiration dates don’t have much science behind them – a food safety researcher explains another way to know what’s too old to eat]( - - About The Conversation: We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to [helping academic experts share ideas with the public](. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. [Donate now to support research-based journalism]( [The Conversation]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation]( 303 Wyman Street, Suite 300 Waltham, MA 02451 [Forward to a friend]( • [Unsubscribe](