The roots of the overdose crisis

Guests: Beth Macy, Aubrey Whelan

A “bad batch” of drugs, most likely a mix of heroine, fentanyl and K2, killed seven people in Philadelphia over the summer, and sent more than 110 people to the hospital. A new study out from the CDC found that Pennsylvania has among the highest overdose death rates in the country. Despite the growing awareness of the overdose epidemic, the deaths persist. This hour, we’ll talk with journalist BETH MACY who’s been tracking the opioid crisis in America and its impact on Appalachia and other rural parts of the country, from the development of the prescription painkiller OxyContin, to the medical and regulatory failures, to the people and communities destroyed by drug addiction drug-related deaths. Her new book is Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America.And we’ll hear from reporter AUBREY WHELAN, who covers the opioid epidemic for the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News.