Jo Murphy-lawless

Fighting Back: Women and the Impact of Drug Abuse on Families and Communities Jo Murphy-lawless

Dublin's inner city has had to live with the social and economic damage inflicted by widespread heroin use since the beginning of the 1980s. `Fighting Back' looks at the impact which drug abuse has had on women, their families and communities. The book shows how women have been energetic and creative actors in responding to these complex problems at local levels and how they have developed considerable expertise. But it also argues that much more could be accomplished if their family and community-building efforts were matched by a more robust response from the state. `Fighting Back' provides an inspirational story of women taking control of their lives, and challenges the government to develop much better support structures for women, men, their families and communities in the battle against drugs.