Hell below the ELHell below the EL
Jonesing
The Jonesing team travels to the heart of the opioid epidemic in Kensington, a neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pa. We discover the harsh reality of a community overtaken by chronic opioid abuse, the accompanying public health burdens of IV drug use and how the staff at Prevention Point Philadelphia are re-inventing addiction treatment approaches.
31:01•2 Oct 2019
Hell Below the EL: Kensington's Battle Against Opioid Addiction
“People aren't trying to get high so much as they are trying to stay well and back in The Old Good Days, people could hold down a job and shoot heroin three times a day, they'd sneak off to the bathroom and inject a couple of bags and they'd return to work, and they could be productive and lead relatively meaningful lives just using the brown powder heroin a few times a day.”
Imagine a neighborhood where the struggle against opioid addiction is part of everyday life. In this episode of 'Jonesing', hosts Susan Baldrige and Zerubabbel Asfaw take you to Kensington, Philadelphia, a community deeply affected by chronic opioid abuse. The scene is grim, with public health challenges like rising HIV rates and skin infections due to IV drug use. But amid this bleak backdrop, there’s a glimmer of hope. Prevention Point Philadelphia is at the forefront of rethinking addiction treatment.
They’re moving away from traditional punitive methods and focusing on more compassionate approaches that address the complex realities of opioid use disorder. Instead of punishing, they’re supporting. Instead of stigmatizing, they’re understanding. This episode gives a voice to the people of Kensington, highlighting their daily battles and the innovative efforts to help them. The team at Jonesing doesn’t just tell these stories; they let the community speak for itself, offering a raw and unfiltered look at life under the EL.
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to live in the heart of an opioid epidemic, this episode is a must-listen. It’s not just about addiction; it’s about humanity, compassion, and the urgent need for change in how society handles substance use.
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