In the modern world, physicians prescribe a multitude of medications, most derived from natural substances, to treat various bodily and mental disorders and some of the substances used also have a pleasurable neurological effect, creating a sense of euphoria, a tranquilizing effect, or intensifying alertness and focus. Over time, drug addiction and abuse has become a social justice and public health concern around the world. Governments have responded to addiction and drug abuse epidemics by banning the use of certain substances, but such efforts are not very efficacious and, instead, tend to result in the birth of black markets and criminal underworld industries involved in the production and distribution of illicit substances. In the 2010s, the drug crisis du jour in the United States involves the misuse and abuse of prescription drugs, substances developed as medications that have an intoxicating effect and so are also sought and used by individuals for recreation or to self-medicate. Because the supply of drugs cannot be completely eliminated without placing patients at risk, legislators, public health experts, and others working on the issue must struggle to balance the needs of patients with the effort to stem the tide of abuse. - Publisher/Preface.

1: Pain and anxiety in America -- National disorder: treating chronic conditions -- Taking on the scourge of opioids / Sally Satel -- How prescription-drug abuse unleashed a heroin epidemic / Kevin D. Williamson -- The truth about prescription pills: one writer's story of anxiety and addiction / Kelley McMillan -- Almost half of all opioid misuse starts with a friend or family member's prescription / Roni Dengler -- Yes, benzos are bad for you / Allen Frances -- Casualties of the VA / David French -- War on prescription drugs: what if you depend on opioids to live a decent life? / S.E. Smith. 2: Drugs for young and old -- Spectrum of risk -- Prescription drug abuse among older adults is harder to detect / Constance Gustke -- Old and overmedicated: the real drug problem in nursing homes / Ina Jaffe and Robert Benincasa -- Fatal friendships: what happens when women share drugs on Facebook / Jill DiDonato -- College students aren't the only ones abusing Adderall / Emma Pierson -- Smack epidemic / L. Jon Wertheim -- US child opioid overdoses increased over past two decades, research finds / Jessica Glenza -- The hefty price of "study drug" misuse on college campuses / Linda Begdache -- Risky alone, deadly together / Kimberly Kindy and Dan Keating. 3: Doctors, big pharma and the gateway to abuse -- The prescription drug business -- The selling of attention deficit disorder / Alan Schwarz -- When the mailman unwittingly becomes a drug dealer / Arian Campo-Flores and Jon Kamp -- Alison's story: how $750,000 in drug "treatment" destroyed her life / Warren Richey -- Drug-company payments mirror doctors' brand-name prescribing / Charles Ornstein, Ryann Grochowski Jones, and Mike Tigas -- Opioid Rx abuse probe sees a record 31 doctors hit with sanctions in New Jersey / Elizabeth Llorente. 4: A search for solutions - treatment -- Treatment and wellness -- A primary care doctor delves into the opioid epidemic / Monique Tello -- The doctors who started the opioid epidemic / Paul A. Offit -- Can we curb the opioid abuse epidemic by rethinking chronic pain? / Richard Gunderman -- The painkillers that could end the opioid crisis / Adam Piore -- How medical marijuana could help end the opioid epidemic / Eric Killelea -- What's really causing the prescription drug crisis? / Johann Hari -- After medical marijuana legalized, Medicare prescriptions drop for many drugs / Shefali Luthra. 5: A search for solutions - policy -- The policy approach: restricting supply and legalizing treatment -- Researchers use black-market drug website to gauge public health / Felice J. Freyer -- Are pharmaceutical companies to blame for the opioid epidemic? / Alana Semuels -- Ohio sues five drugmakers, saying they fueled opioid crisis / Jeanne Whalen -- Congress probes West Virginia opioid shipments / Eric Eyre -- States require opioid prescribers to check for "doctor shopping" / Christine Vestal.