Marshall Poe
Marshall Poe
Kant Patel and Mark E. Rushefsky, "The Opioid Epidemic in the United States: Missed Opportunities and Policy Failures" (Routledge, 2021)
Kant Patel and Mark E. Rushefsky, "The Opioid Epidemic in the United States: Missed Opportunities and Policy Failures" (Routledge, 2021)
Kant Patel and Mark E. Rushefsky, "The Opioid Epidemic in the United States: Missed Opportunities and Policy Failures" (Routledge, 2021)
Wednesday 20th October 2021
Kant Patel and Mark E. Rushefsky explore the roots and policy failures of America's opioid crisis in this insightful podcast episode.
60 minutes
Informative
Thought-provoking
Raw
Non-judgmental
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Educational
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Eye-opening
Motivational
Transformative
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Marshall Poe
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Understanding Addiction & Recovery
Navigating Alcohol Dependency
Navigating Intimate Relationships
Family Recovery from Addiction
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Get the buttons here!The Opioid Crisis: Missed Chances and Policy Pitfalls in America
If you're talking about the opioid epidemic in The 21st Century, we're talking about- and this is a stereotype- of working lower class whites in particular areas of the country.
Imagine a time when a new painkiller was hailed as a breakthrough, only to spark one of the most devastating public health crises in American history. In this episode of 'New Books in Drugs, Addiction, and Recovery', political scientists Kant Patel and Mark E. Rushefsky dissect their book, *The Opioid Epidemic in the United States: Missed Opportunities and Policy Failures*.
They dive into the origins of the opioid crisis, tracing it back to the mid-1990s with the introduction of OxyContin, which was marketed as a safer alternative for chronic pain management. Fast forward to 2017, and over two million Americans were grappling with addiction to prescription pain pills and street drugs. Patel and Rushefsky shed light on how fragmented policies and aggressive pharmaceutical marketing contributed to the crisis.
They discuss the roles of various players, from government bodies to private actors, and how these entities' actions—or lack thereof—exacerbated the epidemic. The conversation also touches on the rise of fentanyl, the challenges faced by treatment facilities, and how media portrayal has influenced public perception. What makes this episode particularly compelling is its focus on the missed opportunities to tackle the crisis effectively. Patel and Rushefsky argue that the American political system's inherent fragmentation has hindered coherent policy responses.
They also provide an international perspective, comparing the U.S. approach to those of other countries. Listeners will find this episode both informative and eye-opening, as it breaks down the complex web of factors that have fueled the opioid epidemic. Whether you're directly affected by the crisis or simply looking to understand its roots and repercussions, this discussion offers valuable insights into one of America's most pressing public health challenges.