Chasing the scream / Hari, Johann

Explores the origins, history, and recent developments of the war on drugs, and analyzes its flaws. Discusses the nature of addiction and drug use, and presents first-hand accounts of people on both sides of the front lines of the drug war. Also discusses successful strategies implemented in other countries and possible approaches to tackling the problem of illegal drug use.

The author chronicles the war on drugs through the stories of people from around the world--including a transexual crack dealer in Brooklyn searching for his mother, a teenage hit man in Mexico looking for a way out, and others--over the course of three years.