In the United States, OxyContin has come to represent corporate greed and lax regulation. Despite the drug's acknowledged addictive risk, Purdue Pharma made billions of dollars from its aggressive marketing, which led to increasing addiction rates. Following the incident, a reckoning ensued in which corporations were sued, CEOs were held responsible, and communities were left to deal with the devastation caused by opioid addiction. The history of OxyContin serves as a warning about the risks associated with putting corporate profits ahead of the general welfare.