GREAT.GOOGLY. MOOGLY.

I am not really sure what I was expecting from this book; perhaps just a history and some pat solutions - yeah, I was very wrong.

This is a deep-dive into both the opioid AND the fentanyl crisis how we in the US are handling it [or NOT handling it as it turns out], how other countries handle it, and some really harrowing stories from recovery addicts, from people working with the addicts and against some of the so-called "help" and "advocacy" programs [some of these will make your skin caw], and from the parents who have lost children to the drug epidemic [be prepared - these are absolutely heart-wrenching stories] and what they are doing now in regards to advocacy and fighting against those who are dehumanizing and demonizing those who are still struggling with drugs [the parts of the book that dive into this world are almost as harrowing as the parents talking about the death of their children and I felt completely bereft when this book was done].

Mr. Hampton is himself in long-term recovery and is both brutally honest about his own experience AND what he sees as real answers to end the war on drugs. His writing is straightforward and unflinchingly honest nd taught me so much about a topic I have heard about, but truly know very little about.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ryan Hampton, and St. Martin's Press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was really interesting and I think it is helpful to understand the impact fentanyl has on our country and addicts.

The author has an interesting perspective on the topic because he is recovering from substance use. He puts forward solid arguments on why treatment is better than prosecution. I came away from this book with a better understanding of the opioid crisis and possible solutions.

As a former law enforcement officer, I saw first hand how the criminal justice system did NOT help those struggling with addiction.

Everything about the stigma of drugs, drug users, and people who care about drug users are portrayed pretty accurately in the book. I loved the authors point about spending so much money on the "war on drugs" but hardly any money is spent on helping the people who are using drugs.

The author spoke to many parents who children had died. THe fight with the DEA, how the DEA operates, and more on the war on drugs.

I wish that the author had spent more time exploring how fentanyl exploded in America and the differences between rural/urban. Are there American chemists cooking up fentanyl?

This is a great heartfelt book about the personal side of addiction, but it is not a lot of fact/research, which I would have appreciated.

Overall, a good book to highlight the current policy's failing to drug users.

Fentanyl Nation is a sobering, well written and researched condemnation of the politics and machinations of the fentanyl crisis in the USA by politician and addiction recovery advocate Ryan Hampton. Released 24th Sept. 2024 by Macmillan on their St. Martin's Press imprint, it's 304 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

Accessible to all readers and written in a plain straightforward style, the author has nevertheless written an unflinching and compelling narrative around the politics of drug abuse in America and how decades of stigmatization and marginalization of people addicted to illicit drugs (with the complicity or outright active participation of the pharmaceutical companies) has only worsened the problem.

It's very well annotated, and the chapter notes and bibliography will provide many additional hours of learning for interested readers. The ebook format contains active hyperlinks to relevant references and is recommended.

Five stars. Sad, compassionate, poignant, important, and surprisingly non-political/neutral. It would make an excellent choice for public library acquisition, therapy/recovery professionals, and non-fiction readers.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

This is the second book that I have read by this author and you can tell that the writing and reporting have both improved. Like most communities, Fentanyl is a problem in my home town. Hampton, himself in recovery from addiction, demonstrates compassion for those that he is profiling. This book really highlights the immensity of the issue and how even countries with progressive drug policies, such as Portugal, struggle with the long term commitment of time and resources required to treat Fentanyl addiction. It is a level of patience that the United States does not have. Fentanyl is a terrifying drug with devastating impacts with no real end in sight. I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.

I highly recommend “Fentanyl Nation” by Ryan Hampton for anyone who wants to learn about Fentanyl and the United States 100 plus year lost war against drugs. Hampton dispels some of the myths, misinformation, and propaganda around fentanyl and why it is so severe and different than other drugs. Hampton provides several personal stories, statistics, and policies of the United States and other nations. He lays out some policy changes that would actually be helpful and might actually save lives.

I really enjoyed reading this. I’m always interested to learn more about the fentanyl crisis and I enjoy reading books that focus more on recovery than punishment.

Anecdotes of the Threats of Fentanyl Addiction
The “Introduction” opens with an unusual perspective of Officer Chris Green, who is exercising at the gym when he is called to the scene. A precise description of the town follows, and then a description of the scene of a guy covered in a white powder being arrested by Green without gloves. After they reach the station, the drug addict begins suffering symptoms of withdrawal. A bit of science is offered: a few hours without fentanyl can bring on withdrawal, unlike with other related drugs, because it has a shorter half-life. As the officers call an ambulance for the addict, they notice a white smudge on Green’s uniform, and he shortly starts “feeling a little strange”. “Within minute, the athletic, healthy officer was falling into the door.” He was shocked that he was “overdosing”. While this narrative is told with short words, and with choppy paragraphs, it relates a good deal of useful details and does so in a dramatic format that is likely to be digestible for casual readers.
Other perspectives follow, together with statistics for 2022: “109,680” Americans died in 2022 from overdoses. Chapter “1: Mainstream Fear” presents Dr. Ryan Marino, who decides to research strange patterns in overdoses that are not coming up in drug-tests in 2021. His resume is summarized. Then, a simple explanation is presented for the 3 waves of the opioid crisis, beginning with the one manufactured by Purdue Pharma between 1999-2010, then a second wave when this problem was acknowledged and over-prescribing was criminalized and doctors drastically decreased their prescription rates starting in 2010, and this led to users going into the illegal heroine market. And then the third wave began in 2014 when Fentanyl was introduced to meet the demand for a cheaper and stronger drug.
This book is basically a casual, conversational lecture about this crisis written for an average newspaper-reader, as opposed to for academics or specialists in this field. Real stories are presented with commentary regarding what is going wrong, and why these problems have not yet been fixed, despite them being common-knowledge. I reviewed some books on drugs, but they were denser in research. Though in total this book might deliver more information, despite seeming to be lighter per-paragraph at a glance. I would have recommended that it be edited down. For example, one paragraph reads: “It feels like grief. Or maybe, heartbreak” (23). I get the feeling that as this book continues there is more hot-air, and less concrete details.
This is a useful book that might get the message across to the public that would not be willing to read any book that is too smart-sounding. Because this book has the density of a science-fiction novel, readers might have an easier time getting into these stories to be educated about this problem. It is really a problem of a lack of education. The “just don’t do it” lesson must be accompanied by the facts regarding the precise side effects and threats that follow, instead of mere symbols of eggs-frying, etc. Thus, those who have a family member who is sliding into lighter forms of addiction, or libraries that serve this population would probably benefit from lightly reading this book.
--Pennsylvania Literary Journal, Summer 2024 issue

This book tells us about a passionate call to abandon ineffective drug-war policies, reframe addiction as a public health issue, and end the Fentanyl crisis. Ryan do a job well in opening our eyes about the failness of American to battle drugs.

A personal story underlies this book. Hampton creates a detailed historical context while including his own personal experience. Best yet, this book is clear for anyone who knows close to nothing about Fentanyl. While I have watched many a movie and television. series - much of what has happened is confusing to me. Hampton's book answers all of my questions and provides international comparisons on solutions utilized successfully by other countries.

This book clarifies the problem, addresses myths and includes cultural touchpoints and some personal stories. It's just enough - and an effective call to action - a call before it's too late!
#stmartins #fentanylnation #ryanhampton #fentanyl

This is an excellent book that really goes in depth into the fentanyl problem and the reasons it is so severe and endemic. I had no idea how much misinformation I had been fed. Hampton weaves facts, history and many stories to really show the scope of the problem and why current deterrents fail so miserably. Very well done.

I read a digital copy of this book for review.

Thank you for this arc! I was so excited to read this and it didn’t disappoint. I loved the factual nature of the information he provided, but also how he intertwined his personal experience with addiction. It gave a good perspective on how poor those with addiction and SUD are treated in the U.S. compared to other countries who have a healthcare model. I think this is definitely one everyone needs to read.

This was a great book. I’ve read quite a few books over the past few years about the opioid epidemic. This one added much to my knowledge.

This book dives into the modern complexities of drug abuse in America, highlighting how our system is failing to protect its citizens. The author presents a chilling and eye-opening narrative about the rise of synthetic fentanyl as a significant narcotic, the socio-political impacts of the drug war in America, and the increase of overdose deaths due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Through a thoughtful discussion, the author advocates for focusing on human rights rather than criminalizing addiction, proposing comprehensive policy reforms that emphasize treatment and support over punishment.