Overdose

Overdose is a necessary and searching investigation into a devastating epidemic that should never have happened. Benjamin Perrin painstakingly shows that it need not continue if we, as a society, heed the evidence. --Gabor Mate M.D., author of In The Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters With Addiction In Overdose, we walk the streets with the author and meet law enforcement officers, healthcare providers, former users, and activists. Along the way, we overcome any prejudice we may have toward the opioid crisis and its victims. Using empirical research, Perrin guides us through the ramifications of the complex problem of the opioid crisis and looks at ways forward. A real eye-opener. --The Hon. Marie Deschamps, former Justice, Supreme Court of Canada A brilliantly argued chronicle of the opioid crisis, Overdose is beautifully written and impeccably researched. Equally moving, informative, and persuasive, it makes a crucial contribution to the national debate on how we deal with illicit drugs in our society--a clarion call to end the failed war on drugs and instead adopt a compassionate evidence-based approach that emphasizes 'safe supply', and decriminalization for illicit drug users. --Prof. Joel Bakan, author of The Corporation We are in a national health emergency, but government will not say so. These are not 'overdose' deaths as much as they are poisonings. The current approach is failing. For anyone who wants to understand this crisis, who can, like Perrin, keep an open mind, I urge you to read Overdose. --Elizabeth May, O.C., M.P., former Leader, Green Party of Canada Overdose is an eye-opening examination of why it is important to dump old stereotypes about substance use. Perrin masterfully describes how his past beliefs about how to deal with the problems--which were grounded in criminalization and punishment--have drastically changed. This is a crisis that demands our attention. And this excellent, highly readable, and thoroughly researched book is a great place to start. --Prof. Timothy Caulfield, Canada Research Chair in Health Law & Policy and author of The Cure for Everything! and Relax, Dammit! If you are a skeptic, as Perrin once was, of progressive public policy to address the opioid crisis, then this matter-of-fact, evidence-based account is a must read. As Canadians, we must address this crisis with care, compassion, understanding, and concrete action. We all have a role to play. --Puglaas, The Hon. Jody Wilson-Raybould, P.C., Q.C., M.P., former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada Benjamin Perrin challenges popular assumptions about opioid users--in particular, those addicted to Fentanyl--offering a humane approach to solving this devastating health crisis. --Quill & Quire