OxyContin heiress Dame Theresa Sackler should be STRIPPED of her title over American opioid addiction scandal, say campaigners

  • Familie have asked for the removal of Dame Theresa Sackler’s title 
  • They called on museums to also ‘take down the family name’ of billionaires
  • Purdue Pharma developed the highly addictive opioid OxyContin, which was introduced by Purdue Pharma in 1996










The family members of those hit by the OxyContin painkiller scandal in the US have called for Dame Theresa Sackler to be stripped of her title and for museums to ‘take down’ the billionaire family’s name.

Families have called for the widow of Mortimer Sackler, one of Purdue Pharma’s co-owners, to be stripped of her title in Britain after a judge ruled that the Sackler family could now be held to account for the harm caused to users of the prescription drug.

Purdue Pharma is located in Stamford Connecticut and introduced OxyContin, a highly addictive, opioid in 1996.

The powerful drug was still prescribed for millions of people to be used long-term. More than 500,000 Americans have been killed by the virus since then. 

The family members of those hit by the OxyContin painkiller scandal in the US have called for Dame Theresa Sackler (pictured with Mortimer Sackler) to be stripped of her title

Families of victims of the OxyContin drug-scam in America have called for the removal of Dame Theresa Sackler’s title (pictured together with Mortimer Sackler).

The families of those affected by the drug crisis have called on museums including the Victoria and Albert Museum (Sackler courtyard at the V&A pictured) to remove the billionaire family's name from its buildings

The families of those affected by the drug crisis have called on museums including the Victoria and Albert Museum (Sackler courtyard at the V&A pictured) to remove the billionaire family’s name from its buildings

The company is being sued for allegedly selling OxyContin to patients with low addiction rates, even though it knew this was false.

However Purdue denied wrongdoing and said that its products were approved by federal regulators and prescribed by doctors – despite agreeing to pay a multi-billion dollar settlement to its victims.  

The families of people who were affected by the crisis in drug addiction have asked the Tate, Victoria and Albert Museum and National Gallery to take the names of billionaires from the Tate’s buildings and to strip the dame of her title.

This is after the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York removed the Sackler name form its buildings.

Born in Kentucky, Mother Emily Walden (49), was one of those who called for the British to “take down” the Sackler namesake. Her son TJ, just 21, died after he overdosed on OxyContin in 2012.

She told The Times: It’s not what they should be known for.’

Nan Goldin was an American artist who developed a dependence on OxyContin due to a wrist injury.

The Times quoted her as saying that museums should be about more than money. The mandate of museums is to promote education, learning and beauty. 

“I have a lot of contacts with artists who do not want to be in the galleries that bear the Sackler name.”  

The drug, which was prescribed to millions for long-term use, has since been linked to more than 500,000 deaths in the US

This drug was originally prescribed for millions of people to be used long-term. It has been associated with more than 500k deaths in the US.

Since 2010, the Sackler Trust claims to have donated more than £60 million in support of medical science, healthcare, education and the arts in the UK. 

Together with the Mortimer and Theresa Sackler Foundations the Sackler Trust also supports arts institutions throughout London such as the National Theatre, Royal Opera House and Shakespeare’s Globe.

2018 Mr. Goldin threatened to boycott the National Portrait Gallery if it accepted a £1million donation from the Sackler family. 

The Observer was informed by her: “My message to all institutions around the globe, who take Sackler money.

“They’re not going” [to be able to]Keep going with the ‘business as usual ”.. They are being challenged and must be heard if they hope to preserve their cultural institution status. 

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