More than 70,000 people died from drug overdoeses in 2017, making ovrdoses a greater killer than gun violence or car crashes in the U.S.. Of the more than 70,000 lives lost to drugs in 2017, over 68 percent were opioid-related, solidfying opioids, including synthetic drugs such as fentanyl, as a growing killer in the United States. On this hour of River to River , host Ben Kieffer is joined by Chris McGreal, whose new book " American Overdose: The Opioid Tragedy in Three Acts " explores the history of the opioid epidemic in the United States through indepth research and compelling personal stories. The book primarily focuses on the town of Willmington, West Virginia. As a state, West Virginia is known to have the highest overdose rate in the country. McGreal is reporter for The Guardian, where he has worked as a correspondent in Jeruselum, Johannasberg, and Washington D.C..