David E. Newton holds a BA in chemistry, an MA in education from the University of Michigan, and an EdD in science education from Harvard University.

• Preface,1 Background and History,The Opium Plant: An Introduction,The History of Opium to 1800,Egypt and Crete,Greece and Rome,The Middle Ages and the Muslim World,The Far East,Laudanum,The Opium Wars,Morphine and Beyond,The Discovery and Commercialization of Morphine,Heroin: The Wonder Drug,Other Opiates,The Criminalization of Opiates,Controlled Substances Act of 1970,Semisynthetic and Synthetic Opioids,The Brain Chemistry of Opioids,Conclusion,References,2 Problems, Controversies, and Solutions,Numbers Tell the Story,Mortality and Morbidity,Who Uses Opioids?,Economic Costs,The Innocent Bystanders,An Underlying Theme,The History of OxyContin,A Flood of Opioids,Regulating the Use of Opioids,Guidelines,Reactions to the Guidelines,Legislation,Federal,State,Multistate,Prevention,Education,Health Care Workers,Schools and Colleges,Proper Medication Disposal,Enforcement,Pill Mill Laws,Doctor Shopping Laws,Treatment,Alternative Forms of Treatment,Conclusion,References,3 Perspectives,It's Not My Problem, or Is It? by Judith Ellsesser,Education Fosters Prevention by Heather Kulp,Epidemic in Asheville by Heather Pack,Confessions of an Opioid User by Bob Roehr,Rationale for Cannabis-Based Interventions in the Opioid Overdose Crisis by Anjali A. Sarkar,The U.S. Opioid Crisis—A Personal Perspective by William G. Schulz,Citing History: The Need for Genuine Context by John Galbraith Simmons,I'm High as I Write This by Rebecca Smith,Opioid Drugs Provide Pain Relief but with Serious Risks by Stephani Sutherland,4 Profiles,Academy of Integrative Pain Management,Advocates for Opioid Recovery,Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacies,American Society of Addiction Medicine,Center for Lawful Access and Abuse Deterrence,Coalition to Stop Opioid Overdose,Thomas De Quincey (1785–1859),Drug Enforcement Administration,Jack Fishman (1930–2013),Francis B. Harrison (1873–1957),Heroin Epidemic Relief Organization,Felix Hoffmann (1868–1946),Paul Janssen (1926–2003),The National Alliance of Advocates for Buprenorphine Treatment,National Association of State Controlled Substances Authorities,National Institute on Drug Abuse,Office of National Drug Control Policy,Pain Therapy Access Physicians Working Group,Candace Pert (1946–2013),President's Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis,Friedrich Sertürner (1783–1841),Solomon H. Snyder (1938–),Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration,Thomas Sydenham (1624–1689),Charles E. Terry (1878–1945),Hamilton Wright (1867–1917),5 Data and Documents,Data,Table 5.1. Misuse of Opioids in Past Year and Past Month among Persons Aged 12 or Older, by Detailed Age Category: Numbers in Thousands and Percentages, 2015 and 2016,Table 5.2. Any Use of Pain Relievers in Past Year and Misuse of Pain Relievers in Past Year and Past Month among Persons Aged 12 or Older, by Detailed Age Category: Numbers in Thousands and Percentages, 2015 and 2016,Table 5.3. Drug-Poisoning Deaths Involving Opioid Analgesics: United States, 1999–2015,Table 5.4. Deaths from Opioid Overdose, 2015,Table 5.5. Death Rates from Heroin and Opioid Analgesic Poisoning, 2000–2015,Table 5.6. Drug Overdose Deaths among Adolescents Aged 15–19, by Type of Opioid Drug Involved in the United States: 1999–2015 (per 100,000),Table 5.7. Opioid Use in Schools,Table 5.8. Perceived Availability of Narcotics Other Than Heroin, 1991–2016, Grades 8, 10, and 12,Documents,Smoking Opium Exclusion Act of 1909,Harrison Narcotic Act (1914),United States v. Jin Fuey Moy (1916),United States v. Doremus (1919),Webb v. United States (1919),Controlled Substances Act (1970),Children's Health Act of 2000,Opioid Use among Veterans (2013),An Act to Prevent Opiate Abuse by Strengthening the Controlled Substances Prescription Monitoring Program (2016),An Act Concerning Involuntary Commitment to Treatment for Substance Use Disorders (2016),Remarks by President Trump on Combating Drug Demand and the Opioid Crisis (2017),The President's Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis (2017),6 Resources,Books,Articles,Reports,Internet,7 Chronology,Glossary,Index,About the Author,

This thorough volume provides an outline of topics related to the ongoing opioid crisis. Even the first section on the history of opium, with references to ancient and medieval texts, consistently relates the information to the current situation. . . . High school and college students would benefit from this volume, and the detailed information in the Profiles section would be useful to graduate students.