Dopesick

Sinopsis

u003cbu003eAn instant u003ciu003eNew York Times u003c/iu003ebestseller, u003ciu003eDopesick u003c/iu003eis the only book to tell the full story of the opioid crisis, from the boardroom to the courtroom and into the living rooms of Americans struggling to save themselves and their families: "masterfully interlaces stories of communities in crisis with dark histories of corporate greed and regulatory indifference" (u003ciu003eNew York Timesu003c/iu003e) from a journalist who has lived through it.u003c/bu003eu003cbru003eIn this extraordinary work, Beth Macy takes us into the epicenter of a national drama that has unfolded over two decades. From the labs and marketing departments of big pharma to local doctor's offices; wealthy suburbs to distressed small communities in Central Appalachia; from distant cities to once-idyllic farm towns; the spread of opioid addiction follows a tortuous trajectory that illustrates how this crisis has persisted for so long and become so firmly entrenched. Beginning with a single dealer who lands in a small Virginia town and sets about turning high school football stars into heroin overdose statistics, Macy sets out to answer a grieving mother's question-why her only son died-and comes away with a gripping, unputdownable story of greed and need. From the introduction of OxyContin in 1996, Macy investigates the powerful forces that led America's doctors and patients to embrace a medical culture where overtreatment with painkillers became the norm. In some of the same communities featured in her bestselling book u003ciu003eFactory Manu003c/iu003e, the unemployed use painkillers both to numb the pain of joblessness and pay their bills, while privileged teens trade pills in cul-de-sacs, and even high school standouts fall prey to prostitution, jail, and death.u003cbru003eu003cbru003e Through unsparing, compelling, and unforgettably humane portraits of families and first responders determined to ameliorate this epidemic, each facet of the crisis comes into focus. In these politically fragmented times, Beth Macy shows that one thing uniting Americans across geographic, partisan, and class lines is opioid drug abuse. But even in the midst of twin crises in drug abuse and healthcare, Macy finds reason to hope and ample signs of the spirit and tenacity that are helping the countless ordinary people ensnared by addiction build a better future for themselves, their families, and their communities.u003cbru003eu003cbru003e u003cbu003e"An impressive feat of journalism, monumental in scope and urgent in its implications."u003c/bu003e -u003cbu003e Jennifer Latson, u003ciu003eThe Boston Globeu003c/iu003eu003c/bu003eu003cbru003eu003cbru003e u003cbru003eu003cbru003eu003cbru003e