Summary of Beth Macy's Raising Lazarus

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 The idea that people are beyond redemption is a common stigma, and it can be difficult to determine where stigma ends and rational thought begins. For drug users, who often hide from society because of their habits, this can be literal death. #2 In North Carolina, the needle exchange program operates out of a double-wide trailer donated by a nearby Presbyterian church. The couple gives away needles on the sly, pretending to be a food pantry that operates from the back of their pickup truck. #3 Harm reduction is about treating users as human beings, not just transactions. It’s about providing them with supplies so they can stop using drugs, and helping them get into treatment if they want it. #4 Many harm reductionists, like Mary, prefer to use a personal, behind-the-scenes approach rather than in-your-face activism. They see this as another version of meeting politicians, law enforcement, and the community of those who use drugs where they are - a nonjudgmental stance that most don’t extend to law enforcement.