New book aims to stop heroin deaths, aligns personal recovery with community work

CINCINNATI - Dec. 3, 2014 - PRLog -- “Think rescue, not rehab,” says author Paul Komarek. “People who use heroin have a specific set of  risks. Reducing deaths means addressing those risks.”

Komarek’s new book SHARP Stop Heroin and Rescue People reveals how personal recovery depends on community infrastructure.

“Heroin wipes people out. They may have good intentions, but they can hardly think,” Komarek says. “People need a clear path that builds safety.”

The book is based on more than a year of research in Northern Kentucky, a region devastated by heroin. “There is so much risk when people cycle between abstinence and relapse," notes Komarek. "It's much safer when recovery moves forward with medical supervision and the support of family, friends and neighbors. My book outlines what's effective. It aims to save lives.”

Dr. Jeremy Engel, a family physician who put Komarek in touch with Northern Kentucky advocacy groups and community leaders, agrees.

“Paul’s book changes the equation," Engel writes. "It reveals how concerned citizens, both within and outside service systems, can remove barriers and promote recovery.”

SHARP Stop Heroin and Rescue People is available in print and Kindle versions from Amazon, and in all ebook formats from Smashwords and other online retailers. Learn more at www.SharpStopHeroin.com.

Paul Komarek is an author, consultant, and policy expert who works with social service agencies and community groups. He designed state-level training programs on mental health and suicide prevention for courts and jails in Ohio and Kentucky. His first book Defying Mental Illness: Finding Recovery with Community Resources and Family Supportwas has been named a “Top 20 Book for Parents and Teachers of Children with Special Needs” by Special Needs Book Review. He lives in Cincinnati with his wife and three children. Learn more at www.PaulKomarek.us. Follow Paul Komarek on Twitter http://twitter.com/pkomarek

ISBN 978-1501003493
Library of Congress Control Number: 2014915831

Visit http://www.amazon.com/SHARP-Stop-Heroin-Rescue-People/dp/1501003496/ to order.