Released: 2015
Genre: Non-Fiction, Society, Politics
Johann Hari is a writer who focuses on many deep-seated issues from mental health to the recent onset of weight-loss drugs. Chasing the Scream, his exploration of the war on drugs, is an excellent breakdown that charts the many failures and suffering caused by a forceful approach.
In 1914, the first drug control legislation came into effect in the United States. We start with an infamous American politician named Harry J. Anslinger; arguably the prime architect behind the war on drugs, Anslinger was relentless in his efforts to punish all drug users without mercy. From the early days of prohibition in the 1930s to the wider crackdowns in the following decades, the early chapters underpin all of the stories to come. Hari tells them with full detail while also referencing the opposing forces of rehabilitation and punishment. America focuses on the latter, while others like Portugal go for the former. With a wealth of data and proven examples, Hari lays out the damage caused and what can be done to change the approach on both a personal and political level.
Many of the accounts are not for the faint of heart and involve a great deal of suffering. Billie Holiday is the first major story, a singer who was put through so much hardship and punishment by the authorities which sent her into a downward spiral. Or take Chino, a former member of a drug cartel, who is willing to talk about his experiences and how they affected him. The book features a huge amount of perspectives and from start to finish, all sides are humanised in their own ways; there’s a great sense of empathy towards those who stood up for both themselves and their communities.
Recommended?
YES: By travelling all over the world and covering all sides of the war on drugs, Hari has put together one of the most detailed and effective chronicles of an endless conflict that has lasted for decades. Every individual story is told with immense pathos and the call for a more nuanced approach to drug use and addiction is laced with compelling arguments. It’s a must-read for everyone; no matter how you feel on the issue, Chasing The Scream will draw you in like few books can.
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