Culture July 19, 2011

Recently, reading an article about the oxycodone addiction that’s sweeping the nation, I came across a sidebar about one of its victims: A respected Ohio physician who’d begun to pop a few pills himself, felt wonderful and elated for a few weeks, and ended, in short order, with a full-blown problem that led to the loss of his license, his marriage, and his house. He’s sober now, but his story is sobering: He’s working at a local rug store, barely making ends meet. And his tale—about the way unexpectedly powerful new drugs can ravage the lives not only of patients