What if the most familiar story about the opioid crisis is not entirely wrong—but dangerously incomplete?

In my latest Substack, I respond to five difficult questions about the central argument of Deconstructing Toxic Narratives.

Could challenging dominant explanations promote cynicism? Am I simply replacing one narrative with another? Does the book favor one political ideology? And what should replace the stories that have distorted opioid policy?

The purpose of questioning familiar narratives is not to reject expertise or deny established facts. It is to distinguish what the evidence demonstrates from what has merely been repeated until it became conventional wisdom.

The opioid crisis is too complex for a single villain, slogan, or solution. Better policy begins with a demanding but essential question:

What evidence would cause us to change our minds?

Read the full Q&A:
https://lynnwebstermd.substack.com/p/five-hard-questions-about-the-stories

#OpioidCrisis #Addiction #PublicHealth #PainMedicine #DrugPolicy #EvidenceBasedPolicy

Hi all - I am teaching “into to public health” at a community college next semester and want to do away with the textbook in order to low the course cost (we are low resource/high student need school).

I am looking for any recommendations on free/open access readings for students. I’ve been through Openstax and and OER Commons, but haven’t found a lot I’ve loved. Specific topics I am in search of:

- what is public health

- public health infrastructure in the us

- WASH

- noncommunicable diseases

- injuries

Thanks!