DOPESICK traces the course of America's opioid epidemic from its origins in Appalachian factory and coal towns to a full-blown nationwide crisis. The bulk of the book is about how one dealer in Virginia led to an explosion of heroin addicts in the region, but the narrative branches in many directions, showing the reader the vastness of the problem, how it began, and how activists and doctors hope to end it.

Although this book was only released in 2018, since its publication much of the information in it has become public knowledge. So, while I wasn't particularly shocked by the stories of many of the addicts (though that may also be due to my own familiarity with Roanoke, Virginia, as I went to college there and in fact share an alma mater with the author), I still feel like I gained a better understanding of the crisis' underlying causes.

As laid out in the book, a major roadblock to reversing this crisis is a lack of public understanding about how addiction works on a chemical level. Before reading this book, I only had a vague understanding of withdrawal symptoms, but wasn't really aware that so many long-term users aren't really chasing a high anymore, but rather simply trying to avoid dopesickness.

DOPESICK also shows us the gaps in the medical and law enforcement systems when it comes to intervening and caring for addicts, and how so many private, for-profit companies have popped up to fill those gaps - if you have the cash. Even if an addict and their support network are ready to submit to the current best standards of care, the average user is probably not able to afford the treatment, especially not for the long run, and we're right back where we started.