About this item
When synthetic opioids were developed a quarter-century ago, many physicians believed the drugs would help alleviate the pain caused by severe injuries and debilitating diseases. But while the drugs do deaden pain, they can lead to devastating addiction as well as death through overdose. Meanwhile, the natural opioid heroin continues to be a much-abused illegal drug that threatens the lives of its users.
About the Author
Hal Marcovitz has been making his living as a writer for more than a quarter-century. He has worked as a reporter and columnist for several daily newspapers, and can now be found reporting for The Morning Call of Allentown, PA, where he covers government and politics in the Bucks County Courthouse in suburban Philadelphia. Hal is also the author of more than 50 nonfiction books for young readers. He has written biographies of Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa, civil rights leader Al Sharpton, farm labor leader Cesar Chavez, and film director Ron Howard. He has also written about the lives of several presidents, including Bill Clinton, John Adams, James Monroe, Theodore Roosevelt, and John F. Kennedy. Hal lives in Chalfont, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Gail, and daughters Ashley and Michelle.
