The Heroin Users

by Tam Stewart

This book, the inside story of the people who take heroin, tells you how it really is. Author Tam Stewart was part of the heroin scene in Liverpool for years, and in The Heroin Users she reveals with great insight and unprecedented honesty what kind of people really take heroin, why they do it, how it changes lives.Heroin is portrayed as an evil and invincible force at large in our society - try it once and you are consigned to perdition. Tam Stewart moves beyond the tabloid screamers and TV shock-images, and in doing so provides informed and realistic hope, not just for addicts, but for all those around them.

Hardcover

Reviews

[Caroline · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book, although dated, offered an interesting insight into the perspective of heroin users. It was released in the 90's and so some of the references to the AIDS epidemic and policies were no longer applicable. Additionally, the writer herself is not particularly a gifted weaver of words, and felt that every sentence should be punctuated with a lengthy, overused metaphor. Nonetheless, the book was interesting, and most books about drugs do not delve so deep into the actual users' stories. The book ends on a powerful note: "It is the appetite and not the drug which needs to be understood. Perhaps we are beginning to realize that."

[Sonja Sönnichsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting peak into the life of a heroin user, reasons why people start taking it and challenges they face.

Really well written and quite fascinating, as the author herself was an addict, thus giving some insights and facts that you'll probably not read in your local drug awareness leaflet.