The Chemical Process and the Human Tragedy

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The book is filled with the human tragedy alongside these kind of, ah, what i think of as market based phenomena. Its markets are really good at giving people what they want. A lot of people want this, and the other side finds ways to make it more cheaply. And that's what we're talking about. The puzzle for me is that this, this more sinister version of meth which you describe. Again, we're not going to be able to do it here. Just as in the programme. It's an icredibly heart breaking set of stories in the book alongside the chemistry. One of the chinds, and we'll get to the homeless part of this in a second

Author and journalist Sam Quinones talks about his book, The Least of Us, with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Quinones focuses on the devastation caused by methamphetamine and fentanyl, the latest evolution of innovation in the supply of mind-altering drugs in the United States. The latest versions of meth, he argues, are more emotionally damaging than before and have played a central role in the expansion of the homeless in tent encampments in American cities. The conversation includes an exploration of the rising number of overdose deaths in the United States and what role community and other institutions might play in reducing the death toll.