American Overdose: The Opioid Tragedy in Three Acts by Chris McGreal. Chris is a reporter for the Guardian and was a former correspondent in Johannesburg, Jerusalem and Washington DC.
He has won awards for his reporting of the Rwandan genocide, Israel/Palestine, and the economic recession in America. In fact, Chris has been recognized by the James Cameron prize for “work as a journalist that has combined moral vision and professional integrity.” He won the Martha Gellhorn Prize for Journalism. In fact he was recognized for reporting that “penetrated the established version of events and told an unpalatable truth”.
This is the fifth book of five that I have read regarding the opioid crisis. In contrast, Chris’ view as a foreign reporter brings a global perspective to our country.
In fact, what Chris sees looking into America is how opioids have deeply gutted smaller communities all across the country. Moreover, his use of statistical data helps drive home how damaging this toll has taken.
Written in three acts, Chris is addressing Dealing, Hooked, and Withdraw. Hence, Dealing begins by documenting America’s business driven healthcare system. Big Pharma profits off pain, and the FDA is somewhat complicit. Following this, Hooked is focusing on addiction. And in the closing act Withdraw, drug cartels succeed by certainly understanding how to ‘game’ the addiction marketplace.
