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American Epidemic: Reporting from the Front Lines of the Opioid Crisis
A first-of-its kind collection of the most vivid 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 being overlooked. This is in large part thanks to the extraordinary 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 Epidemic collects, for the first time, the key works of reportage and analysis that provide the best picture available of the origins, consequences, and human calamity associated with the epidemic.
Spirited, informed, and eloquently written, American Epidemic will serve as an essential introduction for anyone seeking insight into the deadliest drug crisis in American history.
“These pieces are brave, clear-eyed, heartbreaking and pragmatic—but above all, they’re impossible to put down.” —Seth Mnookin, professor of science writing, MIT, and author of The Panic Virus and the New York Times bestselling Feeding the Monster
“John McMillian has masterfully assembled a crucial window into the origins, expansion, and deepening devastation of the latest drug abuse nightmare to menace our society. American Epidemic also demonstrates the ugly racial and economic disparities that cynically distort our reactions to drug abuse.” —Douglas A. Blackmon, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black People in America from the Civil War to World War II
“A kaleidoscopic introduction to the devastation wrought by—and possible remedies for—the opioid crisis.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Each piece is well-written, and together they bring light to a quiet but deadly scourge, create plenty of sympathy for its victims, and inspire readers to consider what society can do.” —Publishers Weekly
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 being overlooked. This is in large part thanks to the extraordinary 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 Epidemic collects, for the first time, the key works of reportage and analysis that provide the best picture available of the origins, consequences, and human calamity associated with the epidemic.
Spirited, informed, and eloquently written, American Epidemic will serve as an essential introduction for anyone seeking insight into the deadliest drug crisis in American history.
“These pieces are brave, clear-eyed, heartbreaking and pragmatic—but above all, they’re impossible to put down.” —Seth Mnookin, professor of science writing, MIT, and author of The Panic Virus and the New York Times bestselling Feeding the Monster
“John McMillian has masterfully assembled a crucial window into the origins, expansion, and deepening devastation of the latest drug abuse nightmare to menace our society. American Epidemic also demonstrates the ugly racial and economic disparities that cynically distort our reactions to drug abuse.” —Douglas A. Blackmon, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black People in America from the Civil War to World War II
“A kaleidoscopic introduction to the devastation wrought by—and possible remedies for—the opioid crisis.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Each piece is well-written, and together they bring light to a quiet but deadly scourge, create plenty of sympathy for its victims, and inspire readers to consider what society can do.” —Publishers Weekly
304 pages, Paperback
Published October 22, 2019
8 people are currently reading
1158 people want to read
About the author
John McMillian
18 books28 followersHi! I'm an associate professor of history at Georgia State University, in Atlanta. Previously, I've taught in the Committee on Degrees in History and Literature at Harvard, and I earned my Ph.D. from Columbia. I've recently begun a new project, "Welcome to Fear City," on crime, policing, and police corruption from the early 1960s until 2001.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
September 27, 2019
This is a compilation of newspaper articles written from around the United States. Dealing with every single aspect of the drug war and the addiction epidemic.
I thought that this book was going to be another tried and true story look at the Opiod epidemic. It is, but its also so much more.
Its about the cops, the paramedics, the addicts, the families, the entire medical system.
I learned some new information about how to support someone going through addiction.
I hope that more people can read and learn from this book.
Overall its a good read, a hard read, but an important read.
I thought that this book was going to be another tried and true story look at the Opiod epidemic. It is, but its also so much more.
Its about the cops, the paramedics, the addicts, the families, the entire medical system.
I learned some new information about how to support someone going through addiction.
I hope that more people can read and learn from this book.
Overall its a good read, a hard read, but an important read.
January 5, 2020
Ed. John McMillian’s ‘American Epidemic’ is a phenomenal collection of articles and essays. The chosen texts not only demand that readers think hard and critically - but demand that readers read with empathy.
In his introduction, McMillian acknowledges the challenges of organizing the book (9-10). However, I think the final product’s well organized, moving readers from the “What” to the “Now What” in the American opioid crisis.
I’d identify ‘American Epidemic’ as required reading for anyone willing to keep asking questions about addiction.
Thank you to John McMillian, The New Press and Goodreads Giveaways for my copy.
In his introduction, McMillian acknowledges the challenges of organizing the book (9-10). However, I think the final product’s well organized, moving readers from the “What” to the “Now What” in the American opioid crisis.
I’d identify ‘American Epidemic’ as required reading for anyone willing to keep asking questions about addiction.
Thank you to John McMillian, The New Press and Goodreads Giveaways for my copy.
October 14, 2019
American Epidemic: Reporting from the Front Lines of the Opioid Crisis is a very highly recommended collection of powerful published articles on the opioid crisis. This is a heart-breaking eye-opening examination of the devastation caused by the increasing addiction to opioids and an essential introduction to the crisis.
This collection is a must read. It will focus your attention on what matters, what is happening right now. In the introduction John McMillian writes: "In 2018, drug overdose deaths in the United States set a new record. There were more than 70,000 of them, mostly due to opioids." He continues: "Let’s put this in perspective. Seventy thousand is far more than the number of Americans who died in 2017 from car accidents (40,100), or guns (39,773), or suicide (47,173). It is more than the number of American servicemen killed during the entire Vietnam War (58,220). It is far more than all of the American deaths from 9/11, the Iraq War, and the Afghanistan War, combined (39,396, as of March, 2019). Drug overdoses are now the leading cause of death for Americans under fifty. Life expectancy in the United States has diminished over the past three years - a phenomenon that is unprecedented since World War II." Where is the outrage?
I know two families who have had a child die due to an opioid addiction. I can't be the only one. Why is this very real and growing catastrophe being overlooked in favor of "maybe" crises. What is actually stealing childhoods and causing harm? These pieces published between 2012 and 2018 cover the crisis and the very real people who are affected and who are dealing with this epidemic - users, families, medical personal, and law enforcement. The well-written and informative articles cover the crisis in different areas of the country, although the epidemic is worse in certain sections. Contributors include: Leslie Jamison, Beth Macy, Tom Mashberg and Rebecca Davis O'Brien, Sam Quinones, Susan Dominus, Eli Saslow, Eric Eyre, Sarah Resnick, Germna Lopez, Christopher Caldwell, Margaret Talbot, James Winnefeld, Joe Eaton, Katharine Q. Seelye, Andrew Sullivan, Gabor Maté, Johann Hari, Adi Jaffe, Maia Szalavitz, and Julia Lurie.
I had several sections highlighted from my reading but I want to share two. One is from Christopher Caldwell in First Things (April 2017): "The culture of addiction treatment that prevails today is losing touch with such candor. It is marked by an extraordinary level of political correctness. Several of the addiction professionals interviewed for this article sent lists of the proper terminology to use when writing about opioid addiction, and instructions on how to write about it in a caring way. These people are mostly generous, hard-working, and devoted. But their codes are neither scientific nor explanatory; they are political."
The second is based on the fact that the brain isn't fully developed until people are in their mid-twenties, which made what James Winnefeld wrote in "Epidemic," from The Atlantic on November 29, 2017 eye-opening: "Because the brain is so adaptable while it’s still developing, it’s highly susceptible to dependencies, even from non-opioids such as today’s newly potent marijuana strains. We now understand that early marijuana use not only inhibits brain development; it prepares the brain to be receptive to opioids. Of course, like opioids, marijuana has important medical applications, and it seems to leave less of a mark on a fully matured brain. It’s worth examining whether it would make sense to raise the legal marijuana age to 25, when the brain has fully matured."
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of The New Press.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2019/1...
This collection is a must read. It will focus your attention on what matters, what is happening right now. In the introduction John McMillian writes: "In 2018, drug overdose deaths in the United States set a new record. There were more than 70,000 of them, mostly due to opioids." He continues: "Let’s put this in perspective. Seventy thousand is far more than the number of Americans who died in 2017 from car accidents (40,100), or guns (39,773), or suicide (47,173). It is more than the number of American servicemen killed during the entire Vietnam War (58,220). It is far more than all of the American deaths from 9/11, the Iraq War, and the Afghanistan War, combined (39,396, as of March, 2019). Drug overdoses are now the leading cause of death for Americans under fifty. Life expectancy in the United States has diminished over the past three years - a phenomenon that is unprecedented since World War II." Where is the outrage?
I know two families who have had a child die due to an opioid addiction. I can't be the only one. Why is this very real and growing catastrophe being overlooked in favor of "maybe" crises. What is actually stealing childhoods and causing harm? These pieces published between 2012 and 2018 cover the crisis and the very real people who are affected and who are dealing with this epidemic - users, families, medical personal, and law enforcement. The well-written and informative articles cover the crisis in different areas of the country, although the epidemic is worse in certain sections. Contributors include: Leslie Jamison, Beth Macy, Tom Mashberg and Rebecca Davis O'Brien, Sam Quinones, Susan Dominus, Eli Saslow, Eric Eyre, Sarah Resnick, Germna Lopez, Christopher Caldwell, Margaret Talbot, James Winnefeld, Joe Eaton, Katharine Q. Seelye, Andrew Sullivan, Gabor Maté, Johann Hari, Adi Jaffe, Maia Szalavitz, and Julia Lurie.
I had several sections highlighted from my reading but I want to share two. One is from Christopher Caldwell in First Things (April 2017): "The culture of addiction treatment that prevails today is losing touch with such candor. It is marked by an extraordinary level of political correctness. Several of the addiction professionals interviewed for this article sent lists of the proper terminology to use when writing about opioid addiction, and instructions on how to write about it in a caring way. These people are mostly generous, hard-working, and devoted. But their codes are neither scientific nor explanatory; they are political."
The second is based on the fact that the brain isn't fully developed until people are in their mid-twenties, which made what James Winnefeld wrote in "Epidemic," from The Atlantic on November 29, 2017 eye-opening: "Because the brain is so adaptable while it’s still developing, it’s highly susceptible to dependencies, even from non-opioids such as today’s newly potent marijuana strains. We now understand that early marijuana use not only inhibits brain development; it prepares the brain to be receptive to opioids. Of course, like opioids, marijuana has important medical applications, and it seems to leave less of a mark on a fully matured brain. It’s worth examining whether it would make sense to raise the legal marijuana age to 25, when the brain has fully matured."
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of The New Press.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2019/1...
November 6, 2019
Searingly painful, and vivid read. One of the first in a while that I find a necessary read. Definitely worth the time.
December 31, 2019
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a review.
While this book provided multiple portraits of addiction, it did not teach me anything I didn't know already. At times, it was easy for me to gloss over and skip certain passages that were redundant. America's heartland is being decimated by a drug that Big Pharma pushed and doctors handed out like Halloween candy.
What was most frustrating about this book was the organization. Organized into two parts ("Reporting and Essays" and "Treatment and Solutions"), the types of reporting in each section vary in style and voice, from regional newspaper reporting to The New Yorker to The Atlantic to online magazines and news outlets. Toward the end of the volume, "H: On Heroin and Harm Reduction" a piece from the literary magazine told in the second person, is jarring before and after hard news reporting. By the end, I'd wished that the pieces were organized by type/genre.
While this book provided multiple portraits of addiction, it did not teach me anything I didn't know already. At times, it was easy for me to gloss over and skip certain passages that were redundant. America's heartland is being decimated by a drug that Big Pharma pushed and doctors handed out like Halloween candy.
What was most frustrating about this book was the organization. Organized into two parts ("Reporting and Essays" and "Treatment and Solutions"), the types of reporting in each section vary in style and voice, from regional newspaper reporting to The New Yorker to The Atlantic to online magazines and news outlets. Toward the end of the volume, "H: On Heroin and Harm Reduction" a piece from the literary magazine told in the second person, is jarring before and after hard news reporting. By the end, I'd wished that the pieces were organized by type/genre.
October 4, 2019
4.5 stars
This collection gathers newspaper reports, excerpts from recent books, magazine articles and scholarly research on the current opioid epidemic. The result is utterly heartbreaking. I keep reading about the current crisis, not because I am intimately involved but to remain empathetic to those that are. These essays follow addicts, police officers, counselors and family members as they deal with an often hopeless situation. The issues are so complicated and mostly everyone is just trying to do the best they can with the resources available. There are so many great books being published on the opioid crisis, but this is comprehensive collection on the current reporting. I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This collection gathers newspaper reports, excerpts from recent books, magazine articles and scholarly research on the current opioid epidemic. The result is utterly heartbreaking. I keep reading about the current crisis, not because I am intimately involved but to remain empathetic to those that are. These essays follow addicts, police officers, counselors and family members as they deal with an often hopeless situation. The issues are so complicated and mostly everyone is just trying to do the best they can with the resources available. There are so many great books being published on the opioid crisis, but this is comprehensive collection on the current reporting. I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 21, 2019
This was such a good read and I am really glad I picked it up. Having this be a compilation of articles was such a good idea. It made it very accessible to people (like me) who want to learn more about the opioid crisis without being to difficult to understand. All of the people and situations mentioned were talked about in such a humane way without taking away the agency of everyone involved. It also mentions other sources regarding the subject, so if you were looking to read more in depth you would know where to start. A very important read and I would highly recommend it to anyone!
June 19, 2023
i learned so much and i cried so much. i recommend this to everyone
May 18, 2020
“This book isn’t just about the brutality of addiction, but about the brutality of the industry that has grown up around it...Following the arc of this book feels like watching a monster emerge from the shadowy corners of our collective peripheral vision.” -from the forward by Leslie Jamison
AMERICAN EPIDEMIC takes a compressive look at the opioid crisis in the United States through a series of essays that first appeared in venues such as The Roanoke Times, New York Times Magazine, The Washington Post, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and Psychology Today.
The book is divided into two parts: Reporting and Essays and Treatment and Solutions. The former examines the problem from the perspectives of those addicted as well as through law enforcement. The latter considers regimens programs such as 12-step programs and medication-assisted therapy (MAT), where the addict is prescribed legal opioids as a substitute for illegal ones. MAT addresses the brain changes due to opioid use which can make an addict more sensitive to stress.
In the second part, several essays examine a study where rats are given a choice between water and a solution of water mixed with either heroin or cocaine. Rats placed alone in a cage with nothing but the bottles tended to prefer the drugged water, while rats placed in a large cage with quality food, toys, and companion rats tended to choose water. When solitary rats who chose the drugged water were moved to the tricked out cage improving their quality of life and providing social interactions, most shunned the drugged water. Some of the parallels between rats and humans are challenged in another article in the second part, but the implications are nonetheless striking.
I was moved by the way opioids damaged lives from the addict to the people who love them. The description of how OxyContin and other prescription painkillers act as gateway drugs to heroin addiction and how cartels used franchise business models to increase profit and distribution make for a fascinating read. The weakness of the book is the repetition of information, which is the consequence of curating a number of stand alone pieces. On the other hand, getting different takes many times adds to the insight.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a review copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thanks to Amazon and The New Press for providing a review copy.
AMERICAN EPIDEMIC takes a compressive look at the opioid crisis in the United States through a series of essays that first appeared in venues such as The Roanoke Times, New York Times Magazine, The Washington Post, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and Psychology Today.
The book is divided into two parts: Reporting and Essays and Treatment and Solutions. The former examines the problem from the perspectives of those addicted as well as through law enforcement. The latter considers regimens programs such as 12-step programs and medication-assisted therapy (MAT), where the addict is prescribed legal opioids as a substitute for illegal ones. MAT addresses the brain changes due to opioid use which can make an addict more sensitive to stress.
In the second part, several essays examine a study where rats are given a choice between water and a solution of water mixed with either heroin or cocaine. Rats placed alone in a cage with nothing but the bottles tended to prefer the drugged water, while rats placed in a large cage with quality food, toys, and companion rats tended to choose water. When solitary rats who chose the drugged water were moved to the tricked out cage improving their quality of life and providing social interactions, most shunned the drugged water. Some of the parallels between rats and humans are challenged in another article in the second part, but the implications are nonetheless striking.
I was moved by the way opioids damaged lives from the addict to the people who love them. The description of how OxyContin and other prescription painkillers act as gateway drugs to heroin addiction and how cartels used franchise business models to increase profit and distribution make for a fascinating read. The weakness of the book is the repetition of information, which is the consequence of curating a number of stand alone pieces. On the other hand, getting different takes many times adds to the insight.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a review copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thanks to Amazon and The New Press for providing a review copy.
November 14, 2022
The author compiled excerpts and articles about the opioid crisis in America. It showed a new perspective into the lives of people with drug-dependency (specifically opioid pills, prescribed, and heroin). I also learned about Purdue Pharma and the roll they played on the drug problem here. It was enlightening and left me heavy-hearted, knowing that the problem was entirely preventable. I think this book was important for me to read as someone going into healthcare because it just highlights the fact that we can’t judge others without knowing their whole story.
July 1, 2024
This is a book put together by different journalists. It offers several possible solutions to America's devastating opiod addiction. Should we lock people up? Should we legalize the drug? Should we jail the people in the companies that made this thing possible?
February 19, 2020
Review to come
December 30, 2023
Moving and very informative
December 6, 2019
After losing someone to the opioid crisis and nearly losing others, this book had a profound effect on me. For us, the loss is so personal, but it is helpful to read that we aren't alone. This book is not a "how not to", there are some hard facts that is beneficial to know, but its mostly the stories of the lives that have been affected. It can be a hard read if you have had similar experiences.
December 3, 2019
Very informative. Highly recommend.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews