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A JOURNALIST’S 5-YEAR JOURNEY FROM HEROIN TRAFFICKERS TO AMERICA’S OBSESSION WITH PAINKILLERS

September 16, 2017

 It was while he spent a decade reporting on the drug trade in Mexico that journalist Sam Quinones discovered an even bigger story: isolation in America and a deep desire to feel no pain.  Quinones’ book Dreamland weaves together the perfect storm of a country that wanted to feel no pain and a pharmaceutical industry happy to comply with an abundance of very addictive painkillers that would trigger the opioid crisis.  As millions of Americans were prescribed oxycontin for chronic pain, many found themselves hooked on the drugs that were simply supposed to relieve their pain. He joins Soledad O’Brien to explain his observance of a medical system out of whack and the need for law enforcement, doctors and communities to address the immediate crisis. 

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