‘Dopesick’ in Hulu examines the people and mechanisms that cause the problem of drug addiction caused by medication. The miniseries follow the introduction and rapid rise of the painkiller and how its manufacturers openly lie about its addictive effects to increase sales. Confidential talks between company heads at the center of the epidemic also show how they are developing a strategy to distribute the drug worldwide.
The picture painted in the narrative is not black and shows that corporate profits given over and over are more important than people’s lives.
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Is Dopesick a Real Story?
‘Dopesick‘ is partly based on a real story. The miniseries are based on the 2018 non-fiction book ‘Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors and the Drug Company that Addicted America’ written by Beth Macy and introduces fictional characters to mimic the real-life situation described in the book. It focuses on the problem of American opioid addiction and presents the story with the views of doctors, drug dealers, law enforcement, and the Sackler family.
The author of the book, Beth Macy, spent more than two decades as a journalist for The Roanoke Times in Virginia and then turned to writing books. His book inspired miniseries came when he heard of the growing heroin addiction in the suburbs. He also saw an increase in drug-related crimes, which forced him to investigate the matter and to write a letter about it.
In a reading of the book, Macy states that the mother of a 19-year-old girl who died of drug overdose wondered how her son ended up dead in the bathroom. In her book, a journalist who turned out to be a writer said that she was determined to answer the question of a grieving mother.
Macy also wrote a few episodes but said the services are very much in line with the vision of program founder Danny Strong. However, the themes shown are the same as those in the book. “It’s about corruption. How is this injustice done to the most discriminated Americans and how the company (Purdue Pharma) escaped by doing so, ”Macy said in a statement, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
Speaking to The Guardian, Strong said, “When people see most horrible, horrific crime, they will understand how this happened and at the same time the government agencies that are supposed to protect the public from such a bad criminal company have failed. And they did not fail by accident. “In fact, the Sacklers, who owned and owned Purdue Pharma, managed to escape” complete legal or financial liability, “when a federal judge ruled a plan that would provide the family with” protection in future courts, “according to the BBC.
“Dopesick.” Following the ruling, Strong stated that – in a similar interview with The Guardian – that “by Dopesick,” he wanted to “give Purdue and the Sacklers a case they did not find.” It was then that the creator heard about the DEA investigating the family when he felt that the program would make you an amazing show. “Once you decide on the drug crisis and what we do for people, I think this could be a very broad section that will not only be important and tell a story that people need to know but also do it in a way that is actually compelling and fun and hopefully a piece of storytelling,” he said.
One of the protagonists in the middle of the show is a small-town doctor who begins to give patients the pains that his patients talk about before they get the results of their dangerous addiction. The character is edited by Michael Keaton and is supported by various doctors and people Macy and Strong spoke to while researching the book and the following series.
“Dopesick,” Keaton admitted that he was sometimes amazed at the magnitude of the deception and lies portrayed in the game. However, Strong would have identified him with factual information that would prove how serious the situation was.
‘Dopesick’ depicts the American opioid problem from many forms and follows the stories of caregivers, victims, and those fighting the epidemic. Its characters, though legends, are based on extensive research and real-life experiences. The fact that it is based on a non-fiction novel by a journalist also reinforces the authenticity of the services. Dopesick.
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