Dreamland Discussion: Part II

[Maddie]

In Part II of Dreamland, Quinones discusses the research of Jennifer Sabel, a Washington State Epidemiologist, and the dismal findings of how opiate deaths have increased due to the advertising schemes of pharmaceutical companies. Sabel’s research speaks to the effectiveness of pharmaceutical advertising techniques first employed by Arthur Sackler in the 1950s. Companies like Purdue Pharma were so good at selling their product that they convinced many doctors to forget what they learned about the addictiveness of narcotics in medical school. On a more cynical level, doctors’ acceptance of opiates could have been due to their desire for a faster, easier way to deal with patients’ pain.

Quinones also demonstrates how business corrupts and exploits the moral integrity of the medical industry by discussing the role of insurance companies. Insurance companies decide what they will reimburse based on what is best for their business—within events of the narrative, these companies chose to cover pills because they were cheaper and easier to dispense than therapy, for example.

As for the Xalisco Boys, although initially unaware of the influence the opiate epidemic had on the success of their business, their distribution systems continued to be successful wherever there was an existing market of opiate addicts.

Discussion Questions:
Throughout the book, Quinones has mentioned many breakdowns in systems leading to greed, deceit, and collusion on behalf of many parties involved in the opiate epidemic. What areas have stood out most in your mind? To get your wheels turning, give this NPR article a read. It features a recent installment in the legal battles between Purdue Pharma and the American people.

Extra Resource:
This article discusses one of the recent legal battles between Purdue Pharma and the American people. In the latest, a judge has rejected the Purdue Pharma opioid settlement that would protect the Sackler family, who own the company. With this installment, the State can choose to hold the Sacklers accountable for their role in the opioid crisis. Please take a read and let us know what you think!

https://www.npr.org/2021/12/16/106504...