Flourishing After Addiction with Carl Erik Fisher

Fentanyl Nation: Toxic Politics and America’s Failed War on Drugs, with Ryan Hampton

Oct 30, 2024

In this engaging discussion, Ryan Hampton, a recovery advocate and author, shares insights from his campaign for Nevada's state assembly and his new book, 'Fentanyl Nation.' He tackles the challenges within the overdose crisis and drug policy, emphasizing the toxic politics surrounding addiction. Ryan highlights the intertwined issues of homelessness and addiction, critiquing misrepresentations in public narratives. His perspective on fostering compassionate, fact-based advocacy and civic engagement resonates powerfully amidst today's polarized climate.

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ADVICE

Manage Toxic Media Noise

Tune out toxic media noise, especially during intense election seasons, to maintain mental health.
Use social media mindfully and take breaks from platforms that increase stress and divisiveness.

ADVICE

Practice Self-Care During Elections

Self-care is crucial for people in recovery during stressful political seasons.
Avoid toxic social media and take breaks to preserve psychological fitness and focus on meaningful work.

ANECDOTE

Campaign Hits on Recovery Work

Ryan Hampton faces false and misleading attack ads during his political campaign centered on his recovery work.
Despite attacks, he remains focused on connecting overdose prevention with broader community issues like housing and healthcare.

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Friend of the pod Ryan Hampton, a national addiction recovery advocate, author, and person in long-term recovery, is right in the middle of a hotly contested state assembly election in Nevada. It is, in fact, he is running in of the most hotly contested races in one of the most consequential states in U.S. electoral politics. So I’m so glad to have him on to talk about how to take care of ourselves and one another in this final stretch of election season, while also getting his unique perspective on the current state of the overdose crisis and drug policy overall.

Of course, we get a front-row seat to his experience within the political system at this intense time, including his thoughts about how to overcome polarization and advocate for important issues relating to addiction, recovery, and public health. But even better, Ryan has a great new book out called Fentanyl Nation: Toxic Politics and America’s Failed War on Drugs. which examines how fentanyl has contaminated the drug supply and driven overdose fatalities to unprecedented levels. In the book, he discusses not only the most proximate policy missteps and regulatory failures that have exacerbated the crisis, but also the big-picture political and cultural issues that have contaminated the dialogue and made change so difficult. We talk about homelessness, crime, corporate greed, punishment policies, the state of the crisis today, and how to connect with people on these important topics. Personally, I was inspired by his discussion of how recovering out loud and sharing his stories is making a real difference. I hope you do too.

Ryan Hampton is a national addiction recovery advocate, author, media commentator, and person in long-term recovery. He has worked with multiple non-profits nationwide to end overdose and served in leadership capacities for various community organizing initiatives. Hampton is in recovery from a decade of active opioid use and is a leading voice in America's rising recovery movement. He is the author of Unsettled and American Fix—and lives in Nevada with his husband, Sean, and their boxer dog, Quincy.

His next book, Fentanyl Nation, is available today!

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