Fighting for Space

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 story—including case studies in Ohio, Florida, New York, California, Massachusetts, and Washington state—with the same passionate fervour as the activists whose tireless work gives dignity to addicts and saves countless lives.