Binghamton, NY – Truth Pharm’s Executive Director, Alexis Pleus was invited to provide a video of her personal story related to the loss of her oldest son Jeffrey Dugon which was utilized during a hearing of the Congressional House Committee on Oversight and Reform. The hearing was held to explore holding Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family who privately owns Purdue Pharma responsible for their role in the overdose epidemic. Purdue Pharma was the maker of Oxycontin released to be prescribed by doctors in 1996 and marketed unscrupulously by Purdue Pharma despite countless warnings, ever increasing death counts and indisputable evidence of its highly addictive qualities.
During the hearing today, David Sackler admitted Oxycontin was more potent than morphine and documents released during the hearing revealed the Sackler family’s efforts to conceal that fact.
Alexis was invited to provide testimony by Nan Goldin and Sackler P.A.I.N., a group of heavy-hitting advocates and activists who have worked tirelessly to expose the wrong-doing of the Sackler family and to hold them accountable. Alexis was invited to provide a one-minute video encapsulating Jeff’s life and death and the role that Oxycontin played in that 28 year path. Alexis concluded her video by saying, “Purdue Pharma needs to be held accountable for what they’ve done to our family, and countless other families.”
Alexis stated, “While I was grateful to be able to share Jeff’s story, it’s painful to try and reduce my son’s life into less than 60 seconds of testimony. It’s even more painful to know, there are another 500,00 lives lost whose voices were not heard today. We can only hope that the Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family are held accountable and that any funds recaptured are used to aid in Harm Reduction based lifesaving measures and recovery services for those still suffering and to the families and community based organizations that have served the populations most impacted. Truth Pharm does not want to see another likeness of the tobacco settlement that only went from one greedy pocket to another (Tobacco industry to government coffers). We hope that Representative Carolyn Maloney’s (New York District 12) leadership will continue to this end.”
The video can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Nan Goldin’s testimony begins approximately 9 minutes into the video. Alexis Pleus’ testimony is right after. The entire hearing is both powerful and heart wrenching to watch.
Truth Pharm’s mission is to raise awareness, reduce the stigma, educate the public and advocate for policy and law changes to reduce the harms of substance use. For more information about Truth Pharm, visit their website at www.truthpharm.org or email: info@truthpharm.org.