The opioid epidemic (also called the opioid crisis) was an American multi-wave health emergency distinguished by rapid surges in overdoses and deaths stemming from misused prescription painkillers, heroin, and fentanyl. Opioids refer to a class of drugs used to reduce pain. They include some prescription pain medications, synthetic fentanyl, and heroin. Beginning in the 1990s, pharmaceutical companies aggressively marketed prescription opioids such as OxyContin. For example, the authors of an article titled "The Opioid Crisis: a Comprehensive Review" discuss how "Purdue Pharma, the manufacturer of Oxycontin, expended $200 million promoting the drug in 2001, which resulted in an increase in the prescription of Oxycontin by almost 10-fold to nearly 6.2 million annual prescriptions the following year" (Vadivelu, et al.). Opioids are now known for their highly addictive nature since "tolerance develops easily and leads to increased uncontrolled intake" (Wang).
In total, it is estimated that some 400,000 people died from drug overdoses involving opioids between 1999 and 2017. The most impacted areas were those with higher rates of economic hardship, unemployment, and social marginalization. Vuong addresses the opioid crisis in his poetry and fiction because he directly experienced it growing up in post-industrial Connecticut. In interviews, he characterizes the crisis as "a pharmaceutical slaughter" that shrouded people in shame and silence. Dealing with themes of addiction and grief, The Emperor of Gladness showcases the opioid epidemic before it was even identified.
