Description
"Of the countless writers out there whose focus is addiction, no one can begin to touch the brilliance of Maia Szalavitz."
--Kristen Johnston, actress, author of the New York Times bestselling memoir Guts, addiction advocate, founder of SLAM NYC
Drug overdoses now kill more Americans annually than guns, cars, or breast cancer. But the United States has tried to solve this national crisis with policies that only made matters worse. In the name of "sending the right message," we have maximized the spread of infectious disease, torn families apart, incarcerated millions of mostly Black and Brown people--and utterly failed to either prevent addiction or make effective treatment for it widely available. There is another way--one that is proven to work. However it runs counter to much of the received wisdom about substances and related problems. It is called harm reduction. Created by a group of people who use drugs and by radical public health experts, harm reduction offers a new way of thinking--one that provides startling insights into behavioral and cultural issues that go far beyond drugs. In a spellbinding narrative rooted in an urgent call to action, Undoing Drugs tells the untold tale of a quirky political movement that has unexpectedly shaken the foundations of world drug policy. It illustrates how hard it can be to take on widely accepted conventional thinking--and what is necessary to overcome this resistance. Ultimately, Undoing Drugs offers a path forward--led by characters who spent many years being dismissed as worthless, only to develop a breakthrough philosophy that can dramatically improve world health.
Author: Maia Szalavitz
Publisher: Hachette Go
Published: 07/27/2021
Pages: 384
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.28lbs
Size: 9.06h x 6.30w x 1.34d
ISBN13: 9780738285764
ISBN10: 0738285765
BISAC Categories:
- Social Science | Disease & Health Issues
- Self-Help | Substance Abuse & Addictions | Drugs
- Health & Fitness | Healing
--Kristen Johnston, actress, author of the New York Times bestselling memoir Guts, addiction advocate, founder of SLAM NYC
Drug overdoses now kill more Americans annually than guns, cars, or breast cancer. But the United States has tried to solve this national crisis with policies that only made matters worse. In the name of "sending the right message," we have maximized the spread of infectious disease, torn families apart, incarcerated millions of mostly Black and Brown people--and utterly failed to either prevent addiction or make effective treatment for it widely available. There is another way--one that is proven to work. However it runs counter to much of the received wisdom about substances and related problems. It is called harm reduction. Created by a group of people who use drugs and by radical public health experts, harm reduction offers a new way of thinking--one that provides startling insights into behavioral and cultural issues that go far beyond drugs. In a spellbinding narrative rooted in an urgent call to action, Undoing Drugs tells the untold tale of a quirky political movement that has unexpectedly shaken the foundations of world drug policy. It illustrates how hard it can be to take on widely accepted conventional thinking--and what is necessary to overcome this resistance. Ultimately, Undoing Drugs offers a path forward--led by characters who spent many years being dismissed as worthless, only to develop a breakthrough philosophy that can dramatically improve world health.
Author: Maia Szalavitz
Publisher: Hachette Go
Published: 07/27/2021
Pages: 384
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.28lbs
Size: 9.06h x 6.30w x 1.34d
ISBN13: 9780738285764
ISBN10: 0738285765
BISAC Categories:
- Social Science | Disease & Health Issues
- Self-Help | Substance Abuse & Addictions | Drugs
- Health & Fitness | Healing
About the Author
Maia Szalavitz is the author of six books, including Unbroken Brain, and the coauthor of The Boy Who was Raised as a Dog. She has received the media award from the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology and an award from the American Psychological Association for contributions to the addictions. She currently writes regular columns for The Guardian and Vice and writes frequently for other major publications like the New York Times, the Washington Post, Scientific American, the Atlantic and Women's Health.