Beth Macy and the cover of her book Raising Lazarus

Beth Macy’s Raising Lazarus on the Overdose Crisis

Dopesick author Beth Macy takes a deeper look at the opioid crisis in Raising Lazarus: Hope, Justice, and the Future of America’s Overdose Crisis.
An opium den in London's East End

How Opium Use Became a Moral Issue

In the 19th century, England's working classes frequently used opium. But there weren't laws against the drug until the middle classes started using it.
An empty bottle for opium tincture

When Doctors Took Opiates To Gain Credibility

Long before today's opioid epidemic, doctors shared stories of their own experiments with the drugs they prescribed their patients.
anti-crack poster

Rereading the Story of the Crack Epidemic

As policymakers seek solutions for the ongoing opioid epidemic, it's worth remembering how sensationalist reporting can lead to troubling responses.
A row of empty office cubicles.

“Deaths of Despair”: What’s Really Killing Americans

Why a large swath of middle-aged, middle-class white Americans, especially those with lower levels of education, are dying more "deaths of despair."
dance drug

What if We Acknowledged That People Use Drugs Because They’re Fun?

In the modern Western world, drug use fits well into economies that divide our days into disciplined, production-oriented “clock time,” and leisure time.
Heroin use.

What Causes an Epidemic of Heroin Deaths?

Research suggests that certain things such as alcohol and the potency of the dose increase the rate at which users die from heroin use.