For this Rose Cafe, we attended a lecture at Call Auditorium by journalist and author Sam Quinones. He discussed the American opiate crises and its development and how it changed the way people in the country live their lives. I found this very fascinating as in Canada, where I am from, we have our own issues with opiate drugs, particularly the large number of deaths due to overdoses of drugs such as morphine and fentanyl, a number which is sadly rising. One thing that really struck me was how Mr. Quinones talked about how these drugs changed communities to be less social. He said that these drugs promote social isolation, and changed the way that people interact with others. One other really fascinating part of the talk was on policy: which drugs should be allowed and which should not? For instance, marijuana and tobacco are legal, but what about more concentrated forms of these drugs. Is it potency that matters, or should other factors be considered? I recall that I had a topic in a British Parliamentary debate round on this issue, and it proved to be immensely complex.