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Fighting for Space

How a Group of Drug Users Transformed One City's Struggle with Addiction
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Fighting for Space explores the global drug epidemic intensified by fentanyl, focusing on harm reduction and safe injection sites. It chronicles a grassroots group of addicts in Vancouver, Canada, who fought for two decades to change the city’s approach to addictionβ€”from punishment to compassion. Their victory offers vital lessons for advocates worldwide, with case studies from the US to highlight the ongoing struggle to save lives and restore dignity to marginalised communities.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book is ideal for readers interested in contemporary politics, public health, social justice, and grassroots activism, especially those seeking a deep understanding of drug policy reform and harm reduction.

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Communities around the world are in the grips of a drug epidemic, made all the more dire by the introduction of fentanyl. What will it take to turn the page on addiction?

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Communities around the world are in the grips of a drug epidemic, made all the more dire by the introduction of fentanyl. What will it take to turn the page on addiction?

Fighting for Space explains the concept of harm reduction and safe injection sites as a crucial component of a city's response to the drug crisis. It tells the story of a grassroots group of addicts in Vancouver, Canada, who waged a political street fight for two decades to transform how the city treats its most marginalised citizens. They demanded that addicts be treated with compassion and not threatened with imprisonment, and against all odds, they eventually won.

At a time when opioid deaths around the world have reached an all-time high, there is much that advocates for reform can learn from Vancouver's experience. Fighting for Space tells that storyβ€”including case studies in Ohio, Florida, New York, California, Massachusetts, and Washington stateβ€”with the same passionate fervour as the activists whose tireless work gives dignity to addicts and saves countless lives.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Kirkus Reviews praises the book as an "intense, riveting report" featuring compassionate activists tackling the public health crisis with determination. Johann Hari calls it a "beautiful and haunting" essential history, while the Los Angeles Review of Books describes it as "amazing, inspiring, and sometimes harrowing," blending social history and community organising insight.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781551527123

Publisher: Arsenal Pulp Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 15 February 2018

Country: Canada

Imprint: Arsenal Pulp Press

Illustration: 20 Illustrations

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 152.0mm

Height: 228.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 432

About the Author

Travis Lupick is an award-winning journalist based in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. He has more than a decade's experience working as a staff reporter for the Georgia Straight newspaper and has also written about drug addiction, harm reduction, and mental health for the Toronto Star, The Walrus, and Al Jazeera English, among other outlets. For his reporting on Canada's opioid crisis, Lupick received the Canadian Association of Journalists' Don McGillivray Award for best overall investigative report of 2016. He has also worked as a journalist in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Malawi, Nepal, Bhutan, Peru, and Honduras.

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