Drugs, Guns & Violence: How Addiction Feeds Every Other Issue

Addiction not only kills more people than any disease other than cancer and heart disease, it's the number-one cause of non-natural death. As tragic as gun violence is, it takes about 15,000 lives a year while addiction takes 115,000. That's 320 people a day. But addiction often causes or exacerbates gun violence and other issues. In some communities, 80 percent of crime is related to drug use. Addicts commit crimes on drugs and for drugs. Author and speaker David Sheff has dedicated his life to advocating addiction prevention and rehabilitation and discusses how taking action against this one issue would curb a host of other problems, such as gun violence, domestic abuse, and other social ills.

Addiction in the Family? You're Not Alone

Realizing that killing himself would not just affect his own life but affect those who loved him helped bring speaker Nic Sheff back from a drug-infused abyss. Knowing firsthand the perils of abuse, today Sheff reaches out to those facing the same struggles. His book, Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines, reassures young people in similar situations that they are not alone. By sharing his harrowing yet inspirational story in his book and in presentations, he shares his message that those battling addiction are not stuck in a vacuum - somebody out there loves them and will help them come back to the surface.

Letting Go: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Addiction

Addicts don't stop caring about the people they love. But as addiction takes over, it commands a person's mind and body to the point where all they can think about is getting the drugs into their system while loved ones are sidelined, feeling helpless. In this powerful presentation, speaker David Sheff shares the story of his son Nic's addition and the impact it has had on their family. Based on his New York Times best-selling book, Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Addiction, and his son Nic's bestseller, Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines, they tell the story from both sides of addiction in this riveting presentation.

Prevention: What Works & What Doesn't

Having devoted recent research to exploring the topic of prevention, speaker David Sheff is at the forefront of what has become a main focus on addressing addiction. The basis for his forthcoming book, The Thirteenth Step, his findings look at the driving forces behind addictive behaviors, noting that most drug and alcohol use isn't about the drugs and alcohol, but rather about life. In understanding that, we can finally find an effective way forward in successfully preventing addiction.

An Evening of Addiction, Hope, & Redemption with Nic & David Sheff

David Sheff's message to policy makers and others is that drug addiction is primarily a health problem.