On pills and needles : the relentless fight to save my son from opioid addiction

One dad's heartbreaking and inspiring journey to recover his son from the awful grip of prescription drug addiction and understand the nationwide Opioid crisis. Autobiography / Memoir;Tommy Van Warner—Mental health;Opioid abuse—Patients—United States—Biography;Opioid abuse—Treatment—Family relationships;BIO026000;REL036000;REL012070 When Rick Van Warner found himself searching abandoned buildings and dangerous streets looking for his missing son, he had no idea that the synthetic, pill-form heroin that had snared his teen was already killing so many. In the years of pain and heartache that followed as he tried to save his son from opioid addiction, Van Warner discovered what the American public is just now becoming aware of: opioids prescribed for even minor pain relief are so addictive that even a few days of use can create dependency.

On Pills and Needles is a memoir that also serves as a wake-up call and crash course in opioid addiction. Through his harrowing personal story, Van Warner exposes the common causes of opioid addiction, effective and ineffective ways it has been treated, and how families can walk alongside loved ones who are dealing with the daily realities of addiction.