The Origins of the Largest Public Health Crisis in America: The Opioid Epidemic
The opioid epidemic is a severe stain on society in both Canada and America, claiming hundreds of thousands of lives. For the first time last year, the United States overdose death from opioids was below 100,000, while a report from 2022 from the Canadian centre on substance use and addiction put in its report “The rate of deaths due to apparent opioid toxicity increased by 91% during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic (from April 2020 to March 2022; n = 15,134 deaths).” Also in that report was “Opioid-related deaths continue to climb across the country. There were at least 30,843 opioid toxicity deaths in Canada between January 2016 and March 2022, with the highest number of deaths occurring in the first third of 2021 (n = 5,368). A large concentration (>88%) occurred in British Columbia, Ontario, and Alberta.” Despite the frequent discussions in mainstream media, the origins of this crisis are rarely addressed. This is where "American Cartel" comes in—a powerful and eye-opening investigation into the roots of the opioid crisis and the individuals involved. Scott Higham and Sari Horwitz excel in presenting this crucial information.
After putting off reading this book for so long, I finally decided to knock it off the list of books I needed to read, and wow, I’m so glad I finally decided to read this book. I was not even remotely prepared for what I was about to read. The level of greed was astounding, and the amount of pills distributed was even more unbelievable. While this book focuses on the opioid epidemic’s origin in America, it is still important to read the information above to see how much it is also affecting Canada. Just when you think about putting the book down, you'll find yourself saying, "Just one more page." I certainly did. This book is a must-read for anyone seeking an unbiased source of information about the beginnings of the opioid crisis. With over 300 pages, there is plenty to learn. So, do yourself a favor and grab a copy—I promise you won’t be disappointed. Below is the website for the report from the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse and Use.
https://www.ccsa.ca/en/opioids-canadian-drug-summary
