Righteous Dopefiend by Philippe Bourgois

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In Righteous Dopefiend, Philippe Bourgois and Jeff Schonberg provide a powerful and poignant account of the culture and challenges faced by homeless heroin addicts in San Francisco. Numerous factors, including structural violence, affect the health and quality of life held by the addicts creating a unique set of challenges for health care providers and law enforcement agencies. The problem of heroin addiction is not one-dimensional and many issues go into creating a “syndemic” (Sobo 193). Heroin addiction deserves to be looked at from many angles so that effective solutions can be introduced to help those affected, including the unique community of the Edgewater homeless. Following the dot-com boom of the 1990s, the political and economical landscape of San Francisco greatly changed (Bourgois and Schonberg). At this time, Mayor Brown of San Francisco enacted neoliberal policies and reinstated law enforcement campaigns that directly targeted the homeless (Bourgois and Schonberg 221-222). The campaigns caused the Edgewater homeless to lose their few possessions, regular encampments, clean needles, and contact with the Department of Public Health’s mobile health van (Bourgois and Schonberg 222). Many addicts blamed themselves for the situation they were in, but the culture they were surrounded by had just as large of a role in prolonging their addiction and health problems. The previously mentioned governmental policies and drug use of the homeless caused a “syndemic” in their lives. A syndemic is “a cluster of [health] problems that work together, reinforcing and often exacerbating each other synergistically” (Sobo 193). Poor sanitation, use of dirty needles, and reduced access to healthcare created a complex system of health ... ... middle of paper ... ...ical care that richer Americans receive. Heroin addiction continues to be an important public health problem for the Edgewater homeless and America today. Addiction compounded with poor living conditions and reduced access to healthcare creates a syndemic that requires social and healthcare programs working together to confront the problem. Structural violence stigmatizes homelessness and heroin addiction, which negatively impacts addicts’ health. Attitudes towards these people must be changed so that all Americans are afforded the basic healthcare they deserve as human beings. Works Cited Bourgois, Philippe, and Jeff Schonberg. Righteous Dopefiend. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2009. Print. Sobo, Elisa J. "Political Economy of Variation in Human Health." Dynamics of Human Biocultural Diversity. Walnut Creek: Left Coast Press, 2013. 190-93. Print.

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