My thoughts are with victims and their families. I wrote this book to uncover truth, and hopefully inspire change. Thank you for reading.
This project would not have been possible without Jada Li, researcher and translator. She led me on the ground in China, from Wuhan to Shanghai, helping interview everyone from drug dealers to police, coaching me on Chinese culture and dissecting documents. She’s a wizard with languages and a fantastic journalist. She put herself in harm’s way, and I am in her debt.
My editor George Gibson is a legend. His wisdom, insight, elbow grease, and good sense are on every page. The book would have never launched without my visionary agent Ethan Bassoff, who saw forest where I only saw trees. More than anyone else Adam Auctor, of Bunk Police, helped me understand the rapidly evolving world of NPS. Welcoming me to Denver and Ljubljana, he was a fantastic tutor for more than three years. The man known as Jack Sanders revisited a dark chapter of his life for my benefit. His recovery story is inspiring. My best wishes to the courageous couple Bree and Mike from East Alton, Illinois, and to Channing Lacey, who is making tough choices and good progress.
Jean-François Tremblay spent hours explaining China’s complicated chemical industry to me, interspersed with delightful dry jokes. Michael Meyer was like a cool older brother taking me to the 7th St. Entry, except for China. His books are highly recommended; thanks also to his wife Frances. Hearing Danny Parrott’s observations in Beijing was a blast, as was commiserating with Nathan VanderKlippe. Erika Kinetz, in Shanghai, helped me understand the Chinese synthetic drug lab landscape, and thanks also for China guidance to Christine Chiao, James Fallows, Guo Qing Yuan, Holly Williams, Jing Song, and Huan Hsu.
Eric Brown does tremendous educational work on NPS, and he graciously welcomed me into his home. RIP, Montana. Jack Brown, Grace Raulston, Leslie Cherryholmes, Alan Hunter, and Courtney Pero were also great help, as was Lee Stockton and Parkland toxicologists Ashley Haynes, Kristina Domanski, and Shannon Rickner. Still grieving from her son Bailey’s passing, Laura Henke told me his story, and Kain Schwandt and Tanner Gerszewski opened up as well. Thanks to Grand Forks Police Lieutenant Brett Johnson, public health superhero Michael Dulitz, mayor Michael R. Brown, and reporter April Baumgarten, who helped me navigate Grand Forks.
Cheers to the big homie Aaron Baines for friendship and European travel companionship. In Ljubljana I spoke with knowledgeable psychonauts including Vlad, Anton (a corporate chemist by day and incredible source of information), and Sidney Picej, who increased my understanding of these new drugs and their culture. If you ever meet Sidney ask him for his American stereotypes. Thanks also to Slovenian harm reduction activists Dare Kochmur and Marko Verdenik. In Spain, Mireia Ventura, Cristina Gil, Núria Calzada, Ivan Fornis, Rafael Sacramento, and Diego Aranega from Energy Control blew my mind with their knowledge, generosity, and selfless work. Nos vemos! In Vienna, danke to Anton Luf, Rainer Schmid, and Steve Mueller.
Mike Power wrote the first book on NPS, Drugs 2.0, and was generous with his time. Sam Quinones is an amazing journalist; I consult Dreamland frequently. Johann Hari’s Chasing the Scream is indispensable, and Ko-Lin Chin and Sheldon X. Zhang’s The Chinese Heroin Trade was critical to my project. Vice has covered NPS better than anyone; Hamilton Morris is the O.G., and Maia Szalavitz’s work is invaluable. Shout out also to Keegan Hamilton and Brian McManus. Jack Schafer covered fentanyl before almost anyone, and Jeanne Whalen has done great reporting on NPS for at least a decade. Natalie Tecimer provided helpful information, including about tramadol in India. My buddy the terrific reporter Amanda Chicago Lewis tipped me off about NPS in the Dallas suburbs. Thanks to Tom Finkel for #journalism. Dark Web dealers Desifelay1000, high_as_fxck_GER, and particularly U4IA took huge risks to help me understand NPS distribution, as did others unnamable here. Thanks to William Leonard Pickard for his story.
Matt Bowden was an unparalleled resource. Martin Raithelhuber, along with his colleague Tun Nay Soe, and Roumen Sedefov helped me understand the global picture. David Nichols and John William Huffman answered countless questions about their work. Thanks also to Stefanie Jones of Drug Policy Alliance, Toby Muse, and the academics Anna Lembke, Justin Hastings, Peter Reuter, Gary Ranken, Marvin Wilson, Phil Williams, and my badass friend Bridget Coggins. DEA agents Melvin Patterson, Dennis Wichern, Elaine Cesare, James Jones, and Sharon Lindskoog were very helpful, as was Michael Felberbaum of the FDA. For geopolitical facts, figures, and context I’m in debt to Bryce Pardo, of RAND, Katherine Tobin, and Sean O’Connor of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission. From the Peterson Institute for International Economics, thanks to Gary Hufbauer, Lucy Lu, and Nicholas Lardy. My Mexico reporting was aided tremendously by Deborah Bonello, Mario Moreno, and Mike Vigil.
DanceSafe’s Mitchell Gomez knows more about drugs than anyone I know, and thanks also to Missi Wooldridge, Emanuel Sferios, and Amy Raves. Ann Shulgin welcomed me to the Farm in Lafayette, and Paul Daley showed me Sasha Shulgin’s lab. Two superb SoCal journalists, Nicholas Schou offered great background on Orange County LSD, while Dennis Romero has been schooling me on ecstasy and electronic music since I was knee-high to a grasshopper. Thanks to my friend Katie Bain for guiding me through life’s Electric Forest, and to another friend Sarah Fenske for general awesomeness. Gracias to Andrea Gleckner; please say what’s up to your brother.
Jaye Shyken is doing life-saving work in St. Louis. Thanks also to River Citians Seth Ferranti, Kosta Longmire, Jeremy Kohler, Brooke Taylor, Aisha Sultan, Jesse Bogan, Blythe Bernhard, Ricardo Franklin, Jim Delworth, Bob Duffy, and Jeff Smith. Doctors Sarah Hartz and Margaret Baum provided crucial sources and information about the fentanyl crisis. Sorry Amy Ravin that I never go to book club. Imade Nibokun and Linda Leseman did great transcription work, and thanks also to Anna Bonelli, Michael Mason, Tal Rosenberg, Emily Witt, Sarah Purkrabek, Andy Van De Voorde, Chris Walker, Kate Steilen, and Rosemary Gibson. At Grove Atlantic, my thanks to Emily Burns, Deb Seager, John Mark Boling, Julia Berner-Tobin, Amy Hundley, Erica Nuñez, Sal Destro, Gretchen Mergenthaler, and Morgan Entrekin, and to my excellentest copy editor Amy Hughes.
My father and my longtime friend Sam Ives helped me understand fentanyl use in medical practice, and were great sounding boards. My mother inspires me in her life and work, and thanks also to Alex, Sean, Julia, and Jay for their support in myriad ways. Kudos to Kai Flanders, Jon Milde, Kevin Kuntz, Steven Kurutz, Stefan Merrill Block, and Sam Stern. Thanks to Nicole Nice for putting me up (and putting up with me). PM and LR are the most wonderful companions I could ask for.
Thanks most of all to my wife Anna, who sacrificed and helped guide this project. I’m grateful for our life together, every day.