French advertising giant Publicis will pay the United States 350 million dollars (about 320 million euros) for its involvement in the opioid crisis. This is the result of an agreement sealed on Thursday 1er February, between Publicis Health, Publicis’ American subsidiary, and New York State Attorney Leticia James, who led negotiations on behalf of all American states and territories. “This is the first settlement with an advertising agency for its role in the opioid crisis”Glad Mme James.
The health crisis was sparked by Purdue Pharma, owned by the Sackler family, which in 1996 put Oxycontin, a very powerful and highly addictive opioid, on the market. Aggressive marketing led to him selling it to doctors and, along with other opioids, an epidemic that killed nearly 700,000 people in a quarter of a century, even though the drug was originally intended for terminal cancer patients.
The settlement, approved by the judge, made it possible to avoid the ongoing trial, especially in Massachusetts, but in her press release, Laetitia James violently blamed Publicis. “For a decade, Publicis helped opioid manufacturers like Purdue Pharma convince doctors to overprescribe opioids, directly fueling the opioid crisis and wreaking havoc on communities across the country.”The prosecutor declares.
“No amount of money can replace the lives and addictions lost, but with this agreement, Publicis will end its illegal behavior and pay $350 million to help our communities rebuild,” Continues mme James.
Aggressive marketing campaigns
States will receive $343 million while $7 million will cover legal costs. The biggest beneficiaries will be California at $34 million, Florida at $24 million, Texas at $21 million and New York at $18.5 million. The public must pay the funds within two months. The agreement expressly prohibits him from accepting any future contracts or commitments related to the marketing or sale of opioids.
According to the prosecutor’s statement, from 2010 to 2019, Publicis worked with Purdue Pharma to develop marketing campaigns and materials promoting opioids including OxyContin, Butrans and Hysingla..
“Publicis was responsible for creating advertisements and promotional materials, such as flyers and brochures, promoting OxyContin as safe and not subject to abuse, even though this claim was not true ยปDetails of the New York prosecutor’s office, which accuses the advertising company of being “Conspiracy” with consulting firm McKinsey and health chain practice Fusion “Promoting False and Deceptive Strategies to Increase Purdue’s Opioid Sales.”
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