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Undoing Drugs: How Harm Reduction Is Changing the Future of Drugs and Addiction Kindle Edition

by Maia Szalavitz (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.7 out of 5 stars 162 ratings
From “one of the bravest, smartest writers about addiction anywhere” (Johann Hari, New York Times bestselling author)—the untold story of harm reduction, a surprisingly simple idea with enormous power

Drug overdoses now kill more Americans annually than guns, cars or breast cancer. But we have 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 of our criminal and medical industrial complexes. It is called harm reduction. Developed and championed by an outcast group of people who use drugs and by former users and public health geeks, harm reduction offers guidance on how to save lives and improve health. And it provides a way of understanding behavior and culture that has relevance far beyond drugs.
 
In a spellbinding narrative rooted in an urgent call to action, Undoing Drugs tells the story of how a small group of committed people changed the world, illuminating the power of a great idea. It illustrates how hard it can be to take on widely accepted conventional wisdom—and what is necessary to overcome this resistance. It is also about how personal, direct human connection and kindness can inspire profound transformation. Ultimately, Undoing Drugs offers a path forward—revolutionizing not only the treatment of addiction, but also our treatment of behavioral and societal issues.
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  1. Print length
    385 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Balance
  4. Publication date
    July 27, 2021
  5. File size
    1.0 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
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From the Publisher

Undoing D

Undoing D

Undoing D

Editorial Reviews

Review

One of the bravest, smartest writers about addiction anywhere.

-- "Johann Hari, New York Times bestselling author"

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.


Samantha Desz is a classically trained actor with extensive theater experience. She also is an experienced voice actor, working on a variety of long form voice-over projects. Samantha has a passion for learning about different cultures and lifestyles. She's lived around the U.S. and in London, England, called New York City home for nearly twenty years, and is currently living in the Midwest.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08HLQW66F
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Balance (July 27, 2021)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 27, 2021
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.0 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 385 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 out of 5 stars 162 ratings

About the author

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Maia Szalavitz

Maia Szalavitz

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Maia Szalavitz is an award-winning author and journalist who covers addiction and neuroscience. Her next book, Unbroken Brain (St. Martins, April, 2016), uses her own story of recovery from heroin and cocaine addiction to explore how reframing addiction as a developmental disorder could revolutionize prevention, treatment and policy.

She’s the author or co-author of six previous books, including the bestselling The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog (Basic, 2007) and Born for Love: Why Empathy Is Essential— and Endangered (Morrow, 2010), both with leading child psychiatrist and trauma expert Bruce D. Perry, MD, PhD.

Her book, Help at Any Cost: How the Troubled-Teen Industry Cons Parents and Hurts Kids, is the first history of systemic abuse in “tough love” programs and rehabs and helped spur Congressional hearings, GAO investigations and proposed legislation to regulate these groups. She also co-wrote the first evidence-based consumer guide to addiction treatment, Recovery Options: The Complete Guide, with Joe Volpicelli, MD, PhD. (Wiley, 2000).

Currently, she writes a bi-weekly column for VICE on drugs and addiction. From 2010 to 2013, she wrote daily for TIME.com and she continues to freelance there and for other publications including the New York Times, Scientific American Mind, Nature, New York Magazine online, Pacific Standard, Matter, Nautilus, and The Verge.

Szalavitz has won major awards from organizations like the American Psychological Association, the Drug Policy Alliance and the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology in recognition of her work in these areas.

She lives in New York with her husband and a Siamese shelter cat.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
162 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book readable, with one mentioning it's a must-read for those interested in history. They appreciate its approach to harm reduction.

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6 customers mention "Readability"6 positive0 negative

Customers find the book readable and informative, with one customer noting it is a must-read for those interested in history, and another describing it as thought-provoking.

"...rigid abstinence-only indoctrination, I found this book to be extremely informative, containing detailed accounts of the work of key figures in harm..." Read more

"This book is excellent and thought provoking. A must read for those interested in history and/or the way forward." Read more

"great read!..." Read more

"Such a good book..." Read more

3 customers mention "Harm reduction"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's approach to harm reduction.

"...of the country’s policies on drug control and provides a spirited case for harm reduction as the right way forward." Read more

"Szalavitz has written the first ever history of harm reduction...." Read more

"Excellent History and In Depth Look at Harm Reduction..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Daniel Romer
    5.0 out of 5 stars great read!
    Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Szalavitz gives a comprehensive history of the country’s policies on drug control and provides a spirited case for harm reduction as the right way forward.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Jamie
    5.0 out of 5 stars Such a good book
    Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Really interesting unlearning what we know about addiction
    One person found this helpful
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  • Joe Conniff
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent History and In Depth Look at Harm Reduction
    Reviewed in the United States on September 28, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    As someone who came to embrace harm reduction after years of rigid abstinence-only indoctrination, I found this book to be extremely informative, containing detailed accounts of the work of key figures in harm reduction and where their efforts began showing up. This book should be required reading for anyone in the area of behavioral health services, as well as those invested in strategies to keep our community members alive in the face of growing addiction crises.

    Joseph Conniff, Author, “Causes and Conditions: A Life Experience in Addiction and Recovery
    8 people found this helpful
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  • Lynn Webster
    5.0 out of 5 stars Harm reduction and why current drug policies have failed us
    Reviewed in the United States on August 26, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Maia Szalavitz is rapidly becoming one of my favorite journalists. A neuroscientist, Maia understands addiction better than most physicians and academics. She appears to be on a mission to change the world through her writing, and hopefully, she will succeed. I believe it was professionally risky for her to tell this story, and I'm so grateful to her for doing that. She's a role model for those of us who want to shine a light on our flawed drug policies. I have publicly stated she should be the U.S. drug czar, and this book is evidence she has the knowledge and compassion to lead us from a disastrous drug policy to one that would save millions of lives, and that would reduce harm and cruelty aimed at people with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) and chronic pain. The people she writes about are heroes. She illuminates the past and current policies that are punitive, sanctimonious, ineffective, and wholly immoral. Her personal experiences and the depth of her research in Undoing Drugs is award-winning journalism. Thank you, Maia.
    36 people found this helpful
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  • Kenneth Anderson
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Very Important Book
    Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Szalavitz has written the first ever history of harm reduction. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of addiction treatment and the history of the war on drugs.
    14 people found this helpful
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  • Morgan Godvin
    5.0 out of 5 stars Read it in two days, best book I’ve read in years.
    Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    This book is excellent and thought provoking. A must read for those interested in history and/or the way forward.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Tim
    5.0 out of 5 stars Everything is fine.
    Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2023
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    Everything is fine.
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  • SueQ
    3.0 out of 5 stars Helpful book
    Reviewed in the United States on March 22, 2025
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Joseph Myren
    5.0 out of 5 stars AWESOME
    Reviewed in Canada on June 3, 2023
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    AWESOME
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