Beth Macy writes about the American opioid crisis in Dopesick, a book which I listened to on audio narrated competently by its author.
The author describes the background to the crisis and how painkillers were prescribed by doctors in lieu of more expensive treatments because it was cheaper for medical insurance companies and it satisfied the need of the patient to be pain free. Opioids were sold and marketed to doctors and the publics as being non-addictive and they were heavily marketed with considerable and valuable “freebies” given to sales reps and physicians. Even when the company who introduced opioids, Perdue, knew that what they were saying was not true they did everything they could to hide the addictive nature of the medication.
In ex-industrial areas such as Virginia where there were many people unemployed and there was a lack of hope for the future drug taking was already rife but opioids were more easily available and soon became the drug of choice for misusers, especially when the pills were crushed and injected. The epidemic started in these areas but soon spread across the country and it wasn’t restricted to the poor.
The author talks about how the epidemic began and spread and why opioids caused a particular problem. She is clear about the social ills that encouraged their use but also about the unforeseen consequences that mass addiction brought to areas. She outlines how cash strapped local authorities attempted to deal with the problem and how groups of bereaved parents tried to bring change to their communities. She spends some time discussing the various types of rehab available and how absolute abstinence was recommended although there was considerable evidence that it was a strategy which had the least chance of success.
This is all very interesting but what brings this book alive and what made it difficult to listen to occasionally are the stories of individuals and their families that became caught up in the crisis. The author introduces us to young people from all walks of life and all social backgrounds who became addicted and then involved in rehab and the criminal justice system. She concentrates on the families and what they had to do to try to get their children free of drugs and what it cost them, financially as well as emotionally.
This is a powerful book with few answers for the reader. It is a sad story with many casualties. It is also a frightening tale of corporations and people in power with vested interests that harm vulnerable individuals.
Anne Is Reading 