I just discovered Crackdown. WOW! What incredible, well done, real, authentic, smart, heartfelt podcast. Garth, you’ve done an incredible job from every aspect. You connect with people that feels so from the heart and real. As a recovering addict- 5.5 yrs- this teaches people about the realities of addiction, staying safe, and the obstacles to getting and staying clean and alive! You’re doing such a good work here! Grateful to be listening

Huge listener for a few years now. The honesty, compassion, empathy, activism, zealous attention to the politics of it, the nuances and pain of losing friends and loved ones who died bc of this continued effort to not support safe use of drugs and provide an actual commercialized market like we do cannabis…. These are some of the themes that have really stood out. To the host, writer and producer: There’s a neuroscientist who teaches at Columbia University who “came out”of the drug closet and faced so much of a backlash, I thought it was brave and he says he enjoys illicit drugs and wants it destigmatized and I just love how he doesn’t care - he’d be an interesting person to interview Garth, his name is Carl Hart , I’ve known of him bc he’s been featured on some podcasts and you two, at least I’d like to hope, would really have an interesting and riveting chat I think. And finally Garth your resiliency is enviable, embrace that rare trait you have

As a person that has dealt with many people in my life with addiction this podcast brings me so much joy, and has helped heal my misconceptions, stigmas and general knowledge of drugs and how work. Why people do what they do and how to give them grace, love, support, and help. So good

I love this podcast! I wonder why Dr. Carl Hart hasn’t come on, I’d be interested to hear that discussion. Keep up the good work guys!

People are dying because they are being poisoned. The government could put cartels out of business and end the “overdose crisis” tomorrow by legalizing and providing safe supply. The “War on Drugs” can’t be won because people who use drugs will outspend those who hope to stop other people from using drugs. And dealers will make that money no matter how high the risk. This podcast speaks that hard truth in all the facets of the story.

I am a mom and a person who has always been against drug prohibition. This is the most informative and inspirational podcast I’ve ever heard. Beautifully done! You all are my hero’s and you will always have my support!

I’m learning so much from this podcast! So sincerely glad it exists! I’ll use the info learned here to continue organizing!

So balanced and informative. More attention needs to be paid to the awful situation of chronic pain patients. I’m an addiction psychiatrist

this a beautiful podcast, made thoughtfully and intentionally. thank you for seeing us as people who are struggling and not lazy people who just don't want to be in society; a society that outside of drinking and drugs already didn't accept us.

Thank you for the work of love that y’all do, For yourselves and your communitie(s)~ I work at a methadone clinic and frequently suggest this podcast to patients/staff/ folks in my community Love from the south 🖤

as someone else said- this podcast truly has changed my life. i hadn’t even realized the magnitude of the personal grief, anger, and confusion that i had been harboring around so many issues re: drug use, policy, and overdose death- and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. this podcast can be a devastating gut punch- but it’s also informative, humorous, empowering, even joyful at times. i’ll be sticking around as long as there’s a new Crackdown episode to hold out for, that’s for sure. i’m grateful to be alive at the same time as Garth Mullins, a real revolutionary.

There is so much talk about how drug users are victims of the police, and homelessness, and stigma, and racial profiling, but what about the drugs themselves? Drug users are dying from overdoses, not from homelessness. There is almost no conversation about how to actually get people off of drugs- the root of the problem.

I’m not the same person I was before I started listening to this podcast. I’ve never heard reporting like this. Everyone should have to listen to it, we’d all be better people.

So few journalists are talking to the folks who use drugs to see what they are experiencing. People in recovery and law enforcement - yes, plenty of air time. But here, you hear what it is like in the trenches, on the “other side” of the drug war. It gives me hope.

Made me supportive of safe supply as a part of Medicare for all. Amazing project and very well done. Every episode is great.

This is by far the most important podcast on drugs, drug use, and the people who use them.

This is an amazing podcast on every front. First off, you have drug users reporting this issue; it’s so rare to have subjects even take part in stories beyond simply as interviewees. Second, this is being reported thoroughly, mercilessly, and honestly - something else that rarely happens with any subject. And, finally, the entire dramatic structure is just perfect: seemingly happy endings are denied the rosy bow by including details about what else is wrong, just as segments about the broken system and how it fails people are mitigated by hope and compassion and small successes. As a former drug user and inhabitant of the US legal system I am thrilled to hear this story told in such an amazing way; and the podcast junkie in me loves how well this is being done. I just found this and shotgunned the entire catalogue in about a week, and now I’ll be joining those eagerly awaiting the next episode every month. Love you guys

Real people discussing real issues about real life during real times Not to be repetitive but it’s dopeaf

You’ve taken over joe rogans place as my new favorite podcast along with Narcotica and Last Days. All I can say is thank you from the bottom of my heart. I am 4 years in remission and every day is still a struggle listening to you and all the people involved in this war is cathartic. A lot of misconceptions and outright lies are being brought to light thanks to you and the other people involved in these types of podcasts thank you again from the bottom of my heart.

I recently moved to Vancouver from Brooklyn NY, and I have lived in many poorer neighborhoods in Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, Oakland, San Francisco, etc. I am no stranger to street and drug culture, but I have never seen anything like that of downtown Vancouver BC. As an outsider moving into town, it was very hard for me to wrap my head arond what was really going on. As an avid podcast producer and listener, I was promptly put on to Crackdown. Holy Shit!! Not only does the host Garth spell it all out in great detail, but he does so from an inside perspective, with unrelenting honesty, and a keen eye ear for professional journalism. Top notch reporting. And the content couldn't be more gripping and relevant. I considered myself to be fairly progressive about the subject matter, but my opinions have been drastically shoved hard left after devouring this series. Bravo.

Real life stories. Thanks for the honesty.

Discovered via Re:sound. Episode 2- really nailed it. Why do the people who are impacted by policy decisions not have any say? Worse than having no say- they are systematically silenced and discarded. Not believed. We need a #metoo movement for people with drug dependencies. We classify it as a disease, yet it’s perfectly acceptable to treat those who suffer from it as second class citizens in every sense of the word. The institutional discrimination that is perfectly legal against people who are suffering is a monumental failure of humanity right up there with institutional racism and sexual abuse. I’ll be listening to this entire podcast in the next 24 hours, I’m sure- thank you for putting these incredibly important voices out there- they matter, and you matter.

Need to know information straight from the mouth of those who are affected by it. Well done.

You can probably skip episode 1. It's a bore. Episode 2 was profoundly interesting, however. I know nothing about about the opiod epidemic, this has been a great introduction. I do enjoy hearing about the problems and solutions from the people who know and have experienced the problems.

I love your show, thank you ! I am a Police Officer day n Texas.. but I lost my 24yr old daughter Catherine to overdose on 11-19-17. She did not receive help, instead was dumped in an alley. Since her passing I’ve become completely open minded and wish that I thought differently when she was here, especially in regards to total abstinence and MAT. It really helps to hear all of this from people who have been through addiction themselves, it helps me understand in retrospect so much more about what Catherine must have experienced and felt. I have shared your podcasts on fb on the page I created in honor of My daughter “ For the Love of Catherine “, I hopes of helping others and spreading awareness. Thank you so much for what you’re doing! 💜

Great content, such an important subject, keep up the incredible work!

Thank you for this podcast. Living in Portland Oregon, I see so many people affected by this crisis. As I learn more about this epidemic, I am beginning to see the humanness of it. Thank you for your efforts and for those of your team. Your work matters. I can see “them” as just like me. Just like me.

Wonderful podcast.

Thank you Garth for this podcast, for your honesty, for taking us all into the spaces we may not otherwise have been exposed to, and for spreading this message and helping us all understanding the true meaning of harm reduction.

Like most folks, I grew up with D.A.R.E and other programs that gave me a completely false idea of drug policy, addiction, and treatment, and though I have tried to correct that over the years, the Cracked podcast is still revelatory listening. The compassion, focus, and outrage of this reporting makes it vital for our times, and I urge everyone to experience it.

Absolutely incredible work. I look forward to the next release every month. Crackdown talks about issues you might not hear elsewhere, and from the most important perspective there is - drug users directly impacted by the oppression and war on drugs. Thank you for a beautifully written, created, and hosted show that breaks my heart and gives me hope at the same time.

This is absolutely excellent podcast on drug use, disordered use, policy, solutions. It's a critical resource for primary care clinicians in North America. Probably fascinating for everyone else too.

I think the guy who hosts this Might have died

We're here and we're listening. Thank you for doing such important work, it is not going unnoticed or unappreciated <3

This is hands down one of the best pieces of journalism I’ve ever heard.

Amazing work, keep it up!

Very interesting.

What an incredible podcast. Second-to-none firsthand storytelling combining meticulous research with the actual lived experiences of people experiencing drug addiction. More reporting about the lives of marginalized people should look like this. Amazingly high production values.

Mind blowing. people with the least resources and influence doing the most good in the world.

This show is so smart and enlightening. It’s a must-listen for anyone interested in understanding how to address structural issues to make the world more just.

This is so well done. It is touching and revolutionary! All humans deserve dignity. All drug users are humans. Listen to this podcast. Share this podcast. Thank you so much for this gift.

Reporting from people who live on the front line of the drug war. A lovingly, militantly, and expertly made podcast. Thank you for creating this. It is important.

So excited for what’s next with this podcast. Thank you for speaking truth to power. The first episode was fire.

This one podcast nails it in terms of the drug crisis and the ongoing platitudes of policy makers and the legislation that misses the heart of the issue. We have the tools and the evidence to save countless lives but we spin wheels—either pretending to care or half-heartedly addressing the problem. I am heartened by this effort but more folks have to join in.

It’s amazing how many times I read (or hear) that the “real” experts are now going to share their insight... and it’s a doctor or a cop or someone who works in recovery. This podcast is where it’s at: the people who experience the entire experience - those who use drugs. I’m so grateful these voices are being elevated and, it shouldn’t matter but it helps that it’s produced with excellence both journalistically and simply in terms of production quality.