The Opioid Crisis: An Increasing Covert Epidemic in the United States, and a Recipe for Catastrophe

Description

The opioid crisis is currently one of the most serious health concerns in the United States. It has resulted in unprecedented deaths and unimaginable agony for individuals, families, and communities across the country. The natural history of the opioid pandemic is similar to that of an infectious disease outbreak. It emerged from the collision of well-intentioned physician efforts to enhance pain therapy and aggressive and often deceptive marketing by pharmaceutical makers in the United States, the country most badly afflicted by the epidemic.
This major and growing public health problem has disastrous consequences for individuals, families, and communities alike. As the problem worsens, it is critical that we understand the underlying causes, research potential solutions, and decide how we may best respond to this national health disaster.
In this book, we will look at the history of the opioid crisis and examine why it has become such a destructive force in the lives of millions of Americans and the rest of the globe.