My dive into five insightful books which certainly provide a foundational understanding regarding our ongoing (and horrific) opioid crisis. They are all extremely compelling to read and will certainly make a very strong impression if you have been somewhat standing on the sideline regarding this crisis.
Above all, as a sign of the modern world we live in today the ability to order opioids from a trusted dealer via the internet on mobile devices with delivery scheduled just like ordering pizza is a glaring example of the difficulties America faces to control this crisis.
Each author in their unique writing are certainly providing greater insights into our opioid crisis. This is necessary since any collection of online news articles cannot dive deep enough in order for readers to understand the bigger picture.
On the other hand, each author acknowledges that doctors, law enforcement, scientists and community leaders were aware of the developing crisis, yet were ignored for many reasons. This is painfully similar to doctors, and scientists, who also identified the COVID threat by January 2020.
Dear America
This is not a 2012 or even a 2019 issue. Fentanyl is 100 times more potent than morphine. This is the go to drug: a cheap alternative to heroin and other opioids. This is also being laced into almost every street drug due to how cheap the product is produced and delivered. America’s opioid crisis is not slowing down:
In fact, in 2021 alone a record 75,000 Americans died from Fentanyl…the equivalent of 1,500 lives lost every week. These numbers can certainly provide data-driven insights to this decline, in the wealthiest country on the planet.
In contrast to the crack cocaine wars of the 1990s, the opioid crisis impacts every race, income, religion, zip code and social status. It will kill anywhere and at anytime. In fact, the number of stories in which each author writes about teenagers dying after just one opioid pill will be the straw that breaks your back.
Quintet to Octet?
Opioid addictions will continue for decades and further contribute to America’s declining life expectancy: from 78.8 in 2019 to 76.4 in 2021. There are a number of powerful, respected books addressing our opioid crisis. Admittedly, the number of stories in which each author writes about teenagers dying after taking just a single opioid pill will be the straw that breaks your back.