Desperate to break free from opioid addiction, thousands of Americans are traveling to Mexico for an unorthodox and potentially dangerous treatment involving ibogaine—a powerful psychedelic banned in the U.S. While some hail it as a miracle cure for addiction, the drug carries serious risks, including heart complications and even death. This underground medical tourism highlights both the gaps in U.S. addiction care and the extreme measures people are willing to take when traditional treatments fail.

Editor’s Note: This isn’t just a story about a fringe treatment—it’s a symptom of how broken addiction care is in the U.S. When people feel they have no other options, they’ll gamble on unproven, risky solutions. The fact that ibogaine is banned here but sought abroad raises tough questions: Should the U.S. reconsider its stance on alternative therapies, or is the real issue the lack of accessible, effective treatments at home? Either way, it’s a stark reminder of how deep the opioid crisis cuts.

Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family have agreed to pay a staggering $7.4 billion to settle lawsuits across 55 U.S. states and territories. The lawsuits accused the company of fueling the opioid epidemic through its aggressive marketing of OxyContin, a powerful painkiller linked to widespread addiction. While the settlement aims to provide some financial relief for communities devastated by the crisis, critics argue it lets the Sacklers off too lightly—they won’t admit wrongdoing and are shielded from future civil claims.

State attorneys general have finalized a massive $7.4 billion settlement with Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, effectively ending the Sackler family’s ownership of the company. The deal also bans the Sacklers from any future opioid sales in the U.S. and channels billions into addiction treatment and prevention programs nationwide.

Purdue Pharma and the billionaire Sackler family—infamous for aggressively pushing OxyContin while downplaying its addictive risks—have struck a deal to pay $7.4 billion to settle lawsuits across all 50 states and U.S. territories. The agreement aims to compensate communities ravaged by the opioid crisis, though critics argue it lets the Sacklers off too lightly, as they avoid personal liability.