The Best Place: Addiction, Intervention, and Living and Dying Young in Vancouver

Vancouver, Canada, is celebrated as a beautiful and livable city, but it also faces public health emergencies, including a drug overdose crisis driven by illicitly manufactured fentanyl. Danya Fast's book explores the politics of place from the perspectives of young people who use drugs, who are often relegated to the margins but are also at the center of city life and state projects.

Format: Hardback
Length: 246 pages
Publication date: 10 November 2023
Publisher: Rutgers University Press

Vancouver, Canada, is celebrated as one of the world's most beautiful, cosmopolitan, and livable cities in both local and international imaginations. However, the city has also been the site of successive waves of public health emergencies and interventions, including a recent and unprecedented drug overdose crisis driven by the proliferation of illicitly manufactured fentanyl and related analogs in the local drug supply. In her book, The Best Place: Addiction, Intervention, and Living and Dying Young in Vancouver, Danya Fast explores these politics of place from the perspectives of young people who use drugs. These individuals are often relegated to the social, spatial, and economic margins of the city, but they are also frequently at the very center of city life and state projects, including the project of protecting life in the context of the current overdose crisis.

Fast's book is a powerful exploration of the ways in which young people navigate the complex social, political, and economic landscapes of Vancouver. Through their stories, she sheds light on the ways in which drug use is intertwined with issues of social exclusion, poverty, and trauma, and how these factors contribute to the ongoing overdose crisis. She also highlights the ways in which young people are working to address these issues and create a more inclusive and safe city for themselves and their communities.

One of the key themes of Fast's book is the ways in which the city's drug policy and intervention efforts have impacted the lives of young people who use drugs. She argues that these efforts have often been driven by a desire to control and regulate drug use, rather than by a commitment to harm reduction and treatment. This has led to a punitive approach to drug use that has marginalized and stigmatized young people who use drugs, and has failed to address the root causes of addiction.

Fast also explores the ways in which young people are resisting these policies and interventions and creating alternative spaces and networks for support and healing. She highlights the work of community-based organizations and grassroots initiatives that are providing harm reduction services, peer support, and housing support for young people who use drugs. These organizations are working to create a more inclusive and supportive environment for young people who are struggling with addiction, and are challenging the dominant narratives about drug use and addiction.

Another important theme of Fast's book is the ways in which young people are negotiating the complex social and cultural norms surrounding drug use and addiction. She argues that drug use is often stigmatized and criminalized, and that this has led to a sense of shame and isolation for young people who use drugs. She highlights the ways in which young people are working to challenge these norms and create a more accepting and supportive community for themselves and their peers.

Fast's book is a powerful and important contribution to the growing body of literature on drug use and addiction. It provides a nuanced and empathetic understanding of the experiences of young people who use drugs and the challenges they face in their daily lives. It also highlights the ways in which these experiences are shaped by the broader the social, political, and economic contexts of the city. Through her stories, Fast provides a powerful call to action for policymakers, community organizations, and individuals to work together to create a more inclusive and supportive environment for young people who use drugs and to address the root causes of addiction and the ongoing overdose crisis.

In conclusion, Vancouver, Canada, is celebrated as one of the world's most beautiful, cosmopolitan, and livable cities, but it has also been the site of successive waves of public health emergencies and interventions, including a recent and unprecedented drug overdose crisis driven by the proliferation of illicitly manufactured fentanyl and related analogs in the local drug supply. In her book, The Best Place: Addiction, Intervention, and Living and Dying Young in Vancouver, Danya Fast explores these politics of place from the perspectives of young people who use drugs. Through their stories, she sheds light on the ways in which drug use is intertwined with issues of social exclusion, poverty, and trauma, and how these factors contribute to the ongoing overdose crisis. She also highlights the ways in which young people are working to address these issues and create a more inclusive and safe city for themselves and their communities. Fast's book is a powerful and important contribution to the growing body of literature on drug use and addiction, and it provides a nuanced and empathetic understanding of the experiences of young people who use drugs and the challenges they face in their daily lives. It also highlights the ways in which these experiences are shaped by the social, political, and economic contexts of the city. Through her stories, Fast provides a powerful call to action for policymakers, community organizations, and individuals to work together to create a more inclusive and supportive environment for young people who use drugs and to address the root causes of addiction and the ongoing overdose crisis.

Weight: 454g
Dimension: 229 x 152 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781978834897