Quinones was among the first to see the dangers of synthetic drugs and a new generation of kingpins whose product could be made in Magic Bullet blenders. In fentanyl, traffickers landed a painkiller a hundred times more powerful than morphine. They laced it into cocaine, meth, and counterfeit pills to cause tens of thousands of deaths-- at the same time as Mexican traffickers made methamphetamine cheaper and more potent. He investigated these new...

A collection of reporting about the most lethal addiction crisis ever. Just a few years ago, the opioid crisis could be referred to as a "silent epidemic," but it is no longer possible to argue that the scourge of opiate addiction is overlooked. This is in large part thanks to the writings featured in this volume, which includes some of the most impactful reporting in the United States in recent years addressing the opiate addiction crisis. American...

A comprehensive portrait of a uniquely American epidemic--devastating in its findings and damning in its conclusions - The opioid epidemic has been described as "one of the greatest mistakes of modern medicine." But calling it a mistake is a generous rewriting of the history of greed, corruption, and indifference that pushed the US into consuming more than 80 percent of the world's opioid painkillers. - Journeying through lives and communities wrecked...

"Harry has written a powerful book . . . . The United States of Opioids is a call to action and tangible steps that we can all take. Harry delivers insights into the challenges facing our health system--doctors, hospitals, and addiction treatment providers--but also offers steps that we can all take as parents and with everyone else in our lives"--Lisa Marie Presley

Behind closed doors, thirty-six million people around the world abuse opioids, three million of them are in the US. Nick Bush was one of them. Forty-five thousand people in the US die annually from the disease, two lives lost to it were Nick's sister and brother, three were his friends. Opioid addiction is recognized as the nation's worst health crisis. Because of it, the average American lifespan is decreasing. Incredibly, the stories of the people...

In September 2019, Purdue Pharma--the maker of OxyContin and a company controlled by the infamous billionaire Sackler family--filed for bankruptcy to protect itself from 2,600 lawsuits for its role in fueling the U.S. overdose crisis. Author and activist Ryan Hampton served as co-chair of the official creditors committee that acted as a watchdog during the process, one of only four victims appointed among representatives of big insurance companies,...

"A bioethicist's eloquent and riveting memoir of opioid dependence and withdrawal -- a harrowing personal reckoning and clarion call for change not only for government but medicine itself, revealing the lack of crucial resources and structures to handle this insidious nationwide epidemic. Travis Rieder's terrifying journey down the rabbit hole of opioid dependence began with a motorcycle accident in 2015. Enduring half a dozen surgeries, the drugs...

"DEA Agent Jack Riley tells the inside story of his 30-year hunt for the drug kingpin known as El Chapo, and reveals the true causes of the American opioid epidemic. Jack Riley, grandson of a Chicago cop known for using his fists, was born to be a drug warrior. Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán Loera, who farmed marijuana and opium poppies as a teenager in Mexico, was born to be a drug lord. Their worlds collided when Riley, a career special agent with...