In Part 2 Quinones notes that in the OxyContin economy, Walmart was “a new and indispensable rural institution” (214). Describe the role of Walmart in the OxyContin economy, connecting this to how economic decline in small-town America fueled the opiate epidemic.

Compare and contrast how the opiate epidemic changed the fates of Portsmouth, Ohio, and Xalisco, Nayarit. Use examples to support your argument.

In Part 1 Quinones describes how addiction among addicts and dealers fueled the Xalisco Boys’ rise. Discuss how the compulsion to consume created the Xalisco Boys network in the United States, citing examples on both sides.