OxyContin Devastates Pike County Residents

After Kentucky sued OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma in 2007, the company's lawyers hired a consultant in 2013 to survey Pike County residents and determine whether an impartial local jury could be seated. Almost 40% knew someone who had faced criminal trouble because of an OxyContin addiction, 33% knew someone who had overdosed or suffered serious harm, and 29% knew someone who had died. Nine out of 10 said OxyContin had a "devastating effect" on the community, and the judge denied Purdue's request to move the case.

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