An incisive, essential guide to understanding one of today's most urgent -- and complex -- problems. The opioid epidemic is responsible for longest sustained decline in U.S. life expectancy since the time of World War I and the Great Influenza. In 2017, nearly 50,000 Americans died from an opioid overdose - with an estimated 2 million more living with opioid addiction every day.The Opioid Epidemic: What Everyone Needs to Know is an accessible, nonpartisan overview of the causes, politics, and treatments tied to the most devastating health crisis of our time. Its comprehensive approach and Q&A format offer readers a practical path to understanding the epidemic from all sides. This includes:· the basic science of opioids · the nature of addiction· the underlying reasons for the opioid epidemic· effective approaches to helping individuals, families, communities, and national policy· myths and common misunderstandings related to opioid addiction Written by two expert physicians and enriched with stories from their experiences in the crosshairs of this epidemic, this book is a critical resource for any general reader -- and for the individuals and families fighting this fight in their own lives.