White Market Drugs: Big Pharma and the Hidden History of Addiction in America

The modern opioid crisis is not new; it is the most recent in a long line of drug crises that dates back over a century. David Herzberg's book White Market Drugs explores these crises and the drugs that fueled them, including Bayer's Heroin, Purdue's OxyContin, and other addictive substances. Herzberg argues that the vast majority of American drug experiences have occurred in white markets, where the prescription of addictive drugs is legal and medically approved. He reveals that policymakers have never been concerned with how to prohibit the use of addictive drugs but with how to ensure their availability in medical contexts, where profitability often outweighs public safety. Herzberg advocates for a consumer protection approach that regulates all drug markets while caring for people with addiction by ensuring them safe, reliable access to medication-assisted treatment. This requires rethinking a drug/medicine divide that dates back to a century ago, and has failed us catastrophically for over a century.

\n Format: Hardback
\n Length: 400 pages
\n Publication date: 04 November 2020
\n Publisher: The University of Chicago Press
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The modern opioid crisis, often perceived as unprecedented, is actually just the latest installment in a long line of drug crises that have spanned over a century. In his book, White Market Drugs, David Herzberg delves into these crises and the substances that fueled them, ranging from Bayer's Heroin to Purdue's OxyContin and all the drugs in between. Herzberg argues that the majority of American experiences with drugs and addiction have occurred within what he refers to as "white markets," where the prescription of addictive drugs is both legal and medically approved. These markets are widely recognized but their role in the medical system of a nation known for its drug wars has remained largely unexplained.

In his comprehensive work, Herzberg reconnects America's fragmented drug history, presenting the full narrative for the first time. He reveals that policymakers have never focused on prohibiting the use of addictive drugs but rather on ensuring their availability in medical contexts, where profitability often outweighs public safety. Access to white markets, therefore, presented a double-edged sword for socially privileged consumers, while communities of color faced exclusion and punitive drug prohibition.

To address this no-win situation, Herzberg advocates for a consumer protection approach that effectively regulates all drug markets while providing care for individuals struggling with addiction by ensuring them safe and reliable access to medication-assisted treatment. This necessitates a reevaluation of the drug/medicine divide, which dates back to a century ago and has largely survived unscathed, despite the racial segregation of that era.

In conclusion, the contemporary opioid crisis may appear novel, but it is merely the latest chapter in a long history of drug crises. By examining these past events and the substances that drove them, Herzberg sheds light on the complex dynamics between medicine, policy, and social inequality. His advocacy for consumer protection and medication-assisted treatment offers a promising path forward in addressing the ongoing challenges posed by drug addiction in America.

\n Weight: 640g\n
Dimension: 162 x 236 x 32 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9780226731889\n \n