Macy establishes a timeline for the opioid epidemic, showing when it reached different parts of the country. This timeline once again emphasizes how in the modern United States, the fates of rural towns and major urban centers are connected. By bringing her hometown of Roanoke, Virginia, into the story, Macy shows that she isn’t simply a disinterested observer in the story, but someone who has a stake in the outcome. By emphasizing how widespread the epidemic is, Macy argues to readers that
they may have a stake in the outcome too.