The prescription painkiller and heroin epidemic, explained
Posted on AllSides October 18th, 2015
From The Left
The drug epidemic currently tearing through large parts of the US began with the best intentions from doctors and a profit-driven campaign from pharmaceutical companies.
Back in the 1990s, doctors agreed — and many still do — that America has a serious pain problem: Tens of millions of Americans experienced debilitating pain, and it was left untreated. So they looked for a solution — and, fueled by a misleading marketing push from pharmaceutical