A thoroughly engaging piece from Jenesse Nieves and Radio Rookies that inadvertently illustrates a key failure of the War on Drugs and Americans' attitudes toward drug users.
This piece has a very simple purpose: Janesse goes to interview her father about his life as a marginly-housed heroin addict. In the process, we find out about her relationship with her other family members, a little about drug addiction from an MD and about the role her father's addiction has played in Janesse's own life.
The climax of the piece comes when Janesse finally finds her father and immediately starts arguing with him about his addiction. Even though she knows better, her emotions take over and there's very little attempt at communion; Janesse's primary goal in this exchange -- to tell her father she loves him -- is overcome by her feelings of anger and betrayal. It's clear that this particular drug addict needs love and support, yet all Janesse can show him is wrath and spite.
This piece is taylor made for a magazine type radio show that wants to show a personal take on drug addiction. it would also be a great lead-in story for a local talk show's conversation of the day (or hour, or half-hour). It provides so much to talk about: drug addiction, the practices of harm reduction, being the friends and families of addicts, the rapidly failing War on Drugs, etc.
Review of Heroin
Ben Adair
Posted on August 13, 2006 at 07:11 AM
A thoroughly engaging piece from Jenesse Nieves and Radio Rookies that inadvertently illustrates a key failure of the War on Drugs and Americans' attitudes toward drug users.
This piece has a very simple purpose: Janesse goes to interview her father about his life as a marginly-housed heroin addict. In the process, we find out about her relationship with her other family members, a little about drug addiction from an MD and about the role her father's addiction has played in Janesse's own life.
The climax of the piece comes when Janesse finally finds her father and immediately starts arguing with him about his addiction. Even though she knows better, her emotions take over and there's very little attempt at communion; Janesse's primary goal in this exchange -- to tell her father she loves him -- is overcome by her feelings of anger and betrayal. It's clear that this particular drug addict needs love and support, yet all Janesse can show him is wrath and spite.
This piece is taylor made for a magazine type radio show that wants to show a personal take on drug addiction. it would also be a great lead-in story for a local talk show's conversation of the day (or hour, or half-hour). It provides so much to talk about: drug addiction, the practices of harm reduction, being the friends and families of addicts, the rapidly failing War on Drugs, etc.