Undoing Drugs

The Untold Story of Harm Reduction and the Future of Addiction

By: Maia Szalavitz

Narrated by: Samantha Desz

Length: 14 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

From “one of the bravest, smartest writers about addiction anywhere” (Johann Hari, New York Times best-selling 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.

©2021 Maia Szalavitz (P)2021 Hachette Go

Critic reviews

“With characteristic flair Maia Szalavitz presents a vibrant personal account of recovery, a broadly researched history of how a fringe idea transformed into a powerful therapeutic and social movement, and a heartfelt, irrefutable call for a sane and humane approach to the devastation of substance addiction.” (Gabor Maté, MD, author of In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction)

“One of the most inspiring and remarkable stories you will ever read. Small groups of stigmatized people all over the world pioneered a totally new approach to drugs and addiction - and they saved millions of lives. Their incredible story has not been told - until now. If everyone in the US read this book, the drug war and so many drug myths would end tomorrow.” (Johann Hari, New York Times best-selling author of Chasing the Scream)

"Undoing Drugs is a well-researched, thoughtful history of our toxic, destructive, failed ‘war on drugs’ that clearly articulates the hopeful promise of harm reduction as a way forward. Maia Szalavitz’s ability to distill and clearly communicate the head-spinning complexities of addiction, policy, health care inequities, academia’s power struggles, the origins and evolution of ideas, practices and programs is hypnotic. This is a powerful, important book, and a compelling read for anyone, but it should be a required text for everyone in public health, social work, mental health, medicine and criminal justice.” (Bruce Perry, MD, PhD, best-selling coauthor of What Happened to You? with Oprah Winfrey and adjunct professor of psychiatry at Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine)

Hands down best book I’ve heard!

So, I started learning a bit about harm reduction and decided to check this book out to learn more… when I tell you I was HOOKED - it was just soooo good and so educational! So eye opening, perspective challenging, and interesting! From the actual narrators voice - to the actual content - I couldn’t be more pleased! Well, I guess I could - if there was a follow up book!!! I liked it so much I’ve bought something like 8 copies and gave it out as gifts because I feel the message is so important and essential to society… if you’re on the fence, Maia Szalavitz killed this one. Fantastic job. 10/10

Genuinely Mind Blowing

I’ve worked in the addiction field for years. I thought I had thought of it all. But this really changed me on a fundamental level.

The truth about addiction

This book is incredible! The content is well researched and written. I highly recommend for anyone who suffers with substance addiction, has a family member with an addiction or knows anyone in their community who is plagued by substance use and the unjust laws which exist to punish them. This book should become required reading for anyone in the field of psychology and social work.

absolutely necessary

absolutely necessary for all to read if we are ever to get a handle on drugs, use, addiction and policy around it.

Wow! An amazing amount of harm reduction info!

I'm somebody who considers myself to be well-read and well-educated on this particular subject and even I was more than impressed with how well put together the research, anecdotes and author's well-informed opinions are in this book. this should be required reading for anybody who doesn't understand why we need to end the war on drugs and go in a different direction. Prohibition does not work and has never worked throughout the course of human history. this book clearly connect the dots as to not just why that is but how we can go about evolving into a better more caring Society that actually treats addiction as a health affliction rather than a character defect or criminal act. I could not have been more impressed!

A Compelling Read

I really enjoyed listening to this book!! I first encountered Szalavitz’s work when I listened to ‘The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog.’ I was so profoundly impacted by the stories that once I finished the book, I immediately looked up Szalavitz’s other work. ‘Undoing Drugs’ did not disappoint!! The anecdotes and data-driven conclusions were incredibly interesting and, I think more importantly, effective at prompting critical self-reflection. As a person who prides myself on my compassionate approach when facing challenges, I was floored to realize I had completely soaked up conventional negative views on addicts/addiction from my parents, both of whom had had their own idealogical and experience-based reasons for embracing tough love rhetoric. I’m grateful for the gentle nudge this book provided to rethink my beliefs. I hope I might share this book with my parents one day. Though it would pose significant opposition to their long-held beliefs, this book has convinced me that the potential tension and animosity caused by initiating such a conversation are well worth the concrete benefits that can come out of advocating for harm reduction. All in all, I recommend this book to everyone. Excellent read!!

Interesting and Inspiring

This book is worth your attention.

Szalavitz put together a history of harm reduction that is accessible and informative, while preserving the stories that have been pivotal to the Harm Reduction Movement in a way that will uplift people embedded in harm reduction work. This work is important and it’s a part of our country’s history that more people should know about.

Excellent read

This is a great intro book from a public perspective into harm reduction. This book should be read by anyone interested in this healthcare strategy

Long overdue discussion

Harm reduction is a complicated but needed approach to drug use in the United States. This particular book covers the history of the harm reduction movement both in the US and abroad, and what could come of it in the future. In the interest of full disclosure, I work in the addiction treatment field, and I have to note that harm reduction as a strategy to addressing addiction is one piece of the overall puzzle - and the author does touch on this. I agree with her that incarceration is not the answer to addressing addiction at all - I speak with several years experience of working in corrections to know that. I highly recommend reading this book. There's a lot to take in but it will hopefully change your mind on the topic.

Harm Reduction and Social Justice

For anyone interested in Harm Reduction, Drug Policy Reform, Social Justice give this a read.. I am an absolute fan of this book! Really impressed how there was so much detail and history behind the chapters. You can feel their passion/rage and determination come thru and it's really inspiring/motivating to hear both the losses and the wins within our community. This book was definitely motivation for me to continue fighting and pushing Harm Reduction to the forefront.