By Lonnie Ridgeway, VOA Alaska Prevention Coalition Director
One of the ways VOA Alaska promotes healthy communities is by providing resources and recommendations to Alaskans. Although we don’t have any published authors, yet, our Prevention and Public Health Department has a resource library of recommended books regarding all thing’s substance prevention, including Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America.
In 2018, American journalist and bestselling author, Beth Macy, published Dopesick after spending years gathering evidence and individual stories detailing the mishandling of prescription drugs and the impact of addiction over the past two decades in America.
Throughout the course of the book, Macy accomplishes two things. She provides an accurate deep dive into the historical and factual origins of America’s opioid epidemic. And she gives an inside glimpse of how toxic and deadly this epidemic has been through the eyes of real-life people, including a grieving mother who lost her only son to addiction, and a young lady who eventually finds freedom from addictions’ grasp.
Dopesick is a must read for anyone who is wanting to learn about opioid addictions and needing more information to process the severity of the effects of addiction in America. Even though Macy is a bestselling author, she makes herself available via social media and email to those who are interested in learning more about her writings and projects.
Looking for books or recommendations? Reach out to our Public Health and Prevention team!
