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roxymaybe's review against another edition
2.0
I was hoping for Canadian Dopesick but what I got was an EXTREMELY DRY but candid snapshot of opioid use in major metropolitan areas. Buy it for your conservative uncle who doesn't believe in decriminalization yet.
joshlegere's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
lillanaa's review against another edition
5.0
This book was received as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I wasn't sure about this one at the beginning, scared it was going to have some form of religious lean, but I'm very glad it didn't in the end. There's small things interspersed, but nothing that retracts from the end message; that drug addiction, especially pertaining to opiates, is a health concern. We've all heard about it in the news here and there, but there still isn't enough of a push, and that's clear from this book.
The writing is concise, but in depth enough to explain to anyone who can read what's going on, it's not overly wordy. I'm especially a fan of the way Perrin makes a point of not going overboard with the science side, you can tell this is someone who's not here to educate on what opiates can do to the body, but what they can do to the society. And there's such a call to action here that I'm honestly scared after reading it.
This is a must read to me, in our current climate. We've seen the war on drugs fail, it's time to get ourselves together and care about our people.
I wasn't sure about this one at the beginning, scared it was going to have some form of religious lean, but I'm very glad it didn't in the end. There's small things interspersed, but nothing that retracts from the end message; that drug addiction, especially pertaining to opiates, is a health concern. We've all heard about it in the news here and there, but there still isn't enough of a push, and that's clear from this book.
The writing is concise, but in depth enough to explain to anyone who can read what's going on, it's not overly wordy. I'm especially a fan of the way Perrin makes a point of not going overboard with the science side, you can tell this is someone who's not here to educate on what opiates can do to the body, but what they can do to the society. And there's such a call to action here that I'm honestly scared after reading it.
This is a must read to me, in our current climate. We've seen the war on drugs fail, it's time to get ourselves together and care about our people.
ncrozier's review against another edition
3.0
This book was a decent introduction to the opioid epidemic, and I very much appreciated that it came from a Canadian (BC) context. However, I felt the book could have used a better editor, and was sometimes confused by different arguments (sometimes polarizing) on the same topic being presented at different times in the book. It's helpful to go into this book being aware that the author's intent is to change the minds of those who demonize drug users. I wish more lived experience had ben included in the book.
whichthreewords's review against another edition
4.0
Probably most useful to help make the case for decriminalization for people on the more conservative end of the political spectrum who are most comfortable with the words of sources who are authority figures. The book’s structure works well for that purpose.
henrymarlene's review against another edition
3.0
My interest in this e-ARC copy of 'Overdose' was linked to my interest in the drug issues within Australia, especially in light of the reviews of drug testing at music festivals and the zero tolerance approach to drugs by our police force. Reading another country's point of view and experiences is useful in this context. Benjamin Perrin's work and expertise as a criminal justice advisor and an evidence-based drug policy advocate was very strong and clear throughout this book. The information provided about particular drugs, what they do and what to do about them seemed very straight forward and objective. It did give an eye-opening illustration about the effects of drug-taking, and that things don't need to be they way they are, with reference to safer drug-taking in order to keep people alive and safely move them out of addiction. Our society, whether it be in Canada or even globally, can address this in a different way to obtain a more proactive result. and keep people alive.
amn028's review against another edition
4.0
Interesting read by one of PM Harper's top legal advisor. Well researched and presented. Goes deep into the addiction and drug issues, and explains why the prohibition style war on drugs will only fill prisons and graveyards.
jennrobyn's review against another edition
4.0
I think we would be hard pressed to find a family that hadn't been touched by addiction in some way. The opioid crisis that is gripping Canada, and the US, is probably one of the most overwhelming things I think about.
This book was a real reality check for me. I appreciated that it was written by a Canadian specifically about what Canada's opioid crisis looks like. It also hit close to home because much of it was centered in Vancouver, British Columbia, which is very close to where I live.
I was very uneducated before on the topic of no barrier housing, safe supply therapy, and the success (or not) of residential treatment centres and other forms of therapy. This was a very raw look at facts and statistics that clearly lay out how what we've been doing isn't going to work, and people are dying because of it. And I think it's a responsibility of every citizen to learn this stuff, and to learn how we can be a part of the solution before we allknow someone who's no longer with us because of this crisis.
Perrin lays out hard facts and chronicles his journey of higher education in a sensitive and compassionate way. He is very honest and open about where he was when he started writing this book and where he ended up, in terms of thoughts and opinions. His research is well thought out, laid out and completely accessible for the listener.
I lost one of my most favourite people on Earth to drugs. My cousin was 6 ft tall and bullet proof to me. He was my superhero and I love him so, so dearly. He was so sick for so long but always was one of my biggest supporters. I see now how he almost didn't have a fighting chance and that breaks my heart all over again. But education is key, so now I can learn what I can do to make sure other families don't lost loved ones like that.
I recommend this book to all Canadians, especially those who are in the thick of this crisis in one way or another.
And if you or someone you know is struggling with drug addiction, please seek help. You are not alone, and your life is too important to be cut short.
This book was a real reality check for me. I appreciated that it was written by a Canadian specifically about what Canada's opioid crisis looks like. It also hit close to home because much of it was centered in Vancouver, British Columbia, which is very close to where I live.
I was very uneducated before on the topic of no barrier housing, safe supply therapy, and the success (or not) of residential treatment centres and other forms of therapy. This was a very raw look at facts and statistics that clearly lay out how what we've been doing isn't going to work, and people are dying because of it. And I think it's a responsibility of every citizen to learn this stuff, and to learn how we can be a part of the solution before we allknow someone who's no longer with us because of this crisis.
Perrin lays out hard facts and chronicles his journey of higher education in a sensitive and compassionate way. He is very honest and open about where he was when he started writing this book and where he ended up, in terms of thoughts and opinions. His research is well thought out, laid out and completely accessible for the listener.
I lost one of my most favourite people on Earth to drugs. My cousin was 6 ft tall and bullet proof to me. He was my superhero and I love him so, so dearly. He was so sick for so long but always was one of my biggest supporters. I see now how he almost didn't have a fighting chance and that breaks my heart all over again. But education is key, so now I can learn what I can do to make sure other families don't lost loved ones like that.
I recommend this book to all Canadians, especially those who are in the thick of this crisis in one way or another.
And if you or someone you know is struggling with drug addiction, please seek help. You are not alone, and your life is too important to be cut short.
marshaskrypuch's review against another edition
5.0
A thorough and informative book on the world of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that can be 100 times more potent than morphine. It has no smell or taste and a dose that's the size of a grain of salt is enough to kill. The author makes a good case that criminalizing opioids makes the crisis worse and he advocates compassion for addicts, pointing out it's a chronic illness that needs to be treated. Monitored injections of prescription opioids has proven more successful than detox, but there is no federal political will for this approach in Canada -- not by the current Liberals, nor by the Conservatives before them.
This is not an easy book to get through. The first two thirds lays out the all-encompassing nature of the problem crisis and the shocking number of deaths -- more than our WWI and WWII deaths combined. Thank goodness for the final third of the book, which explores treatment options, success in BC and survivor stories.
Highly recommended.
This is not an easy book to get through. The first two thirds lays out the all-encompassing nature of the problem crisis and the shocking number of deaths -- more than our WWI and WWII deaths combined. Thank goodness for the final third of the book, which explores treatment options, success in BC and survivor stories.
Highly recommended.
reillya's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0