Pills, Powder and Smoke: Inside the bloody war on drugs

· Bolinda · Narrated by John Derum
Audiobook
11 hr 53 min
Unabridged
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About this audiobook

The war on drugs has been official American policy since the 1970s. It is at best a failed policy, according to bestselling author Antony Loewenstein. Its direct results have included mass incarceration in the US and extreme violence in different parts of the world. And now the Trump administration is unleashing diplomatic and military forces against any softening of the conflict. Pills, Powder, and Smoke investigates the individuals, officials, activists, victims, DEA agents and traffickers caught up in this deadly war. Travelling through the UK, the US, Australia, Honduras, the Philippines and Guinea-Bissau, Loewenstein uncovers the secrets of the drug war. In reporting on the front lines across the globe, Loewenstein reveals how the war on drugs has become the most deadly war in modern times. Its agenda has nothing to do with ending drug use or addiction, but is all about controlling markets, territories and people. Instead, Loewenstein argues, the legalisation and regulation of all drugs would be a much more realistic and humane approach. The evidence presented in this book will persuade many listeners that he's right.

About the author

Antony Loewenstein is a Jerusalem-based Australian journalist who has written for The New York Times, The Guardian, the BBC, The Washington Post, The Nation, Huffington Post, Haaretz, and many others. He is the author of Disaster Capitalism: making a killing out of catastrophe; the writer/co-producer of the associated documentary, Disaster Capitalism; and the co-director of an Al-Jazeera English film on the opioid drug tramadol. His other books include My Israel Question, The Blogging Revolution, and Profits of Doom, and he is the co-editor of the books Left Turn and After Zionism, and is a contributor to For God’s Sake.

John Derum has been acting, writing and directing for theatre and television since his teenage years. He has performed More Than a Sentimental Bloke, his tribute to C.J. Dennis, more than 500 times around Australia. He has recorded the audiobooks of the Joseph Furphy classic novels, Such Is Life, Rigby’s Romance and The Buln-Buln and the Brolga. In 2019, John was appointed a member of the Order of Australia (AM) for his significant contribution to the performing arts and the community.

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