In this episode, I have the privilege of deep diving into the NY Best-selling book "Dreamland, the True Tale of Americas Opiate Epidemic," with the Author, Sam Quinones. Sam generously shares his rich experiences writing the book - from researching Mexican cartel trafficking (and their obsession with Levi's 501 jeans), to interviewing drug dealers in prisons who were open and raw with their stories, to getting to know the despair of family members impacted by a Loved Ones addiction. Sam paints the vivid picture of how the closing of community pools such as Dreamland (the books namesake) in Portsmouth, Ohio contributed to the gathering storm of what has become our countries worst drug epidemic in history. We discuss the dynamics of family members being as addicted to rescuing their sons and daughters, as those in active use are addicted to painkillers, heroin, opiates and other chemicals. Hearing Sam feels like listening to an old friend describe years of family and community stories that hit right to the heart of all of us.

Dreamland is a book everyone should read, and this is an episode everyone should hear!!