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The Poison We Pick
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The Poison We Pick

This nation pioneered modern life. Now epic numbers of Americans are killing themselves with opioids to escape it.

Andrew Sullivan
New York, 2018
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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Eye Opening
  • Background
  • Engaging

Recommendation

Imagine a virus infecting two million Americans and killing more than 50,000 of them within a year. Most likely, society’s response would be swift and forceful. Replace the word “virus” with “opioids” in the first sentence, and you have a description of the extent of America’s current opioid epidemic. Yet unlike a viral disease, no single antidote will solve the opioid crisis, which best-selling author Andrew Sullivan blames on a complex set of social, cultural, psychological, economic and political factors. getAbstract recommends his eye-opening feature story to anybody interested in the broader cultural and historical context of America’s opioid crisis.

Take-Aways

  • More than two million Americans today are addicted to opioids, which dull users into a temporary state of bliss.
  • Opioid addiction has increased the most in places wrought by deindustrialization and rapid economic decline, which has destroyed the social fabric of entire communities.
  • As US doctors have come under increased financial pressure, prescribing opioids for pain relief allowed them to process more patients faster.

About the Author

Andrew Sullivan is an author and contributing editor at New York magazine. 

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