Meet keynote speaker Sam Quinones

Sam has investigated and written two groundbreaking books, The Least of Us: True Tales of America and Hope in the Time of Fentanyl and Meth (2021) and Dreamland: The True Tale of America's Opiate Epidemic (2015)
Dreamland won—and The Least of Us was nominated for—the National Book Critics Circle Best Nonfiction Book award. Dreamland also made annual best books lists by Amazon.com, the Daily Beast, Buzzfeed, The Wall Street Journal, and more. Slate.com selected it among the 50 best nonfiction books of the last 25 years.
During his 35-year career as a journalist, Sam worked as a freelance writer in Mexico for 10 years and has been honored for excellence in covering Latin America.
In 2004, he joined the L.A. Times, where he covered immigration, drug trafficking, neighborhood stories, and gangs.
Sam studied economics and American history at U.C. Berkeley, where he also produced punk rock concerts for bands such as the Dead Kennedys and Black Flag.

Keynote session: The Opioid Crisis in America: What This Means for Anesthesiologists and Pain Physicians
8:00 a.m.–9:30 a.m. | Terrace Ballroom
Sam will draw upon his experience investigating the drug trade—from pharmaceutical corporations to a small town in Mexico—to share insights on addiction and its implications for anesthesia.
Meet and Greet, Q&A, and Book Signing
10:30 a.m.– Noon | ASA Resource Center Mini Theater | Exhibit Hall booth #15053
Chat directly with Sam and join a sure-to-be lively Q&A session. He'll also be signing his books, The Least of Us and Dreamland, available for purchase in the ASA Resource Center.
ASA Central Line Live-Audience Podcast
4:00 –5:00 p.m. | Center Stage | Exhibit Hall booth #6061
Be there when Adam Striker, MD, FASA interviews Sam for an upcoming podcast episode. Quinones' storytelling journalistic style promises to translate to compelling narratives about some of the most dangerous issues facing the U.S.