Former Addict Uses Skeleton ‘Pill Man’ To Spotlight Opioid Epidemic

Frank Huntley, who is six years into recovery from his 15-year-long OxyContin addiction, has been trying to raise awareness of the opioid epidemic, Fox News reports. To draw attention to the crisis, he created a human-sized skeleton — also known as “Pill Man” — from his old OxyContin bottles to show just how deep he was into his use of the drug.

Huntley has been confronting presidential candidates about the opioid epidemic with his Pill Man, although the results have been mixed. While he wasn’t allowed to take creation into a campaign event for Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren, he did manage to get it in front of Andrew Yang, who has pledged to decriminalize opioids and safe injection sites to combat the addiction crisis gripping the United States.

“Anyone who wants to run for president, they’re gonna end up meeting Pill Man,” Huntley said, adding that he plans to introduce his figurine to every presidential candidate before February’s New Hampshire primaries.

In addition to Yang, Pete Buttigieg has vowed to decriminalize all drugs, Reason reported. The former South Bend, Indiana, mayor recently claimed that incarceration should not be a response to drug possession, proposing to funnel federal spending into rehabilitation and supervised release programs.

Huntley claims to have been in the throes of addiction from 1991 to 2013. He lost both his mother and sister to addiction and appears to believe his decision to hoard the bottles was for a greater purpose.

“For some powerful reason, I hoarded these [pill bottles] for 15 years. Addicts don’t do that. There was a much higher power that wanted me to do this.”

Frank Huntley brought his “Pill Man” to Purdue Pharma to help tell his story. His message: opioids kill, but if you want to beat addiction, there is hope. pic.twitter.com/HZ7D7r2r5T

— Suzie Hunter (@TheSuzieHunter) May 6, 2019

Per Stamford Advocate, the 52-year-old’s trouble with prescription medication began when he injured his shoulder and back. After two surgeries, he was given a prescription for OxyContin, which he says led him down the path of drug abuse. Following a year on the pill, Huntley says his doctor prescribed him methadone to cope with withdrawals.

Purdue Pharma, which has been sued by many states for the allegedly deceptive marketing of its drugs, is accused of contributing to the opioid epidemic currently facing the United States.

Company spokesman Bob Josephson responded to Huntley’s activism back in May of 2019.

“We share Mr. Huntley’s concerns about the opioid addiction crisis, and respect his right to peacefully express himself,” he said. “Purdue is committed to working collaboratively with those affected by this public health crisis on meaningful solutions to help stem the tide of opioid-related overdose deaths.”

Josephson claims that his company is leading efforts to battle prescription drug abuse.