First published 2019
The opioid epidemic transformed from a silent crisis into America's most deadly drug disaster within just a few years. John McMillian brings together the most compelling journalism that exposed this catastrophe, collecting key reports and analysis that reveal how the crisis began, spread, and devastated communities across the country. These pieces of reportage illuminate the human cost of opiate addiction while documenting the racial and economic inequalities that shaped society's response to different victims. The collection serves as a comprehensive introduction to understanding the deadliest addiction crisis in American history. Through vivid reporting from journalists across the United States, readers gain insight into both the origins of the epidemic and potential solutions. McMillian has assembled writings that are both heartbreaking and pragmatic, offering a clear picture of a scourge that claimed countless lives while exposing the systemic failures that allowed it to flourish.
Genres: addiction, social-issues, non-fiction, journalism, current-affairs, american-history
Vibes: dark, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: investigative-reporting, social-commentary
Setting: United States
Period: 21st-century
304 pages · Paperback · The New Press
Content warnings: addiction, substance-abuse