FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Media Contact: Paola Theaker; paola@grafmartin.com or 519-342-3703
Leading Canadian Christian Addiction Medicine Physician Offers Hope for Canadian Opioid Crisis
Dr. Meera Bai Grover’s “Why I Help People Take Drugs” Now Available
WATERLOO, Ont., November 5, 2024— Opioids are claiming the lives of thousands of Canadians from all walks of life. With more than 44,000 opioid-related deaths since 2016, the overdose crisis is one of the most severe public health crises Canada has ever faced. Amid this devastating epidemic, Dr. Meera Bai Grover drew on her highly specialized medical training and theological education to pen Why I Help People Take Drugs (Cascade Books, October 2024) to help the Church develop a meaningful and compassionate response toward addiction.
“People struggling with addiction often find themselves isolated and stigmatized due to misconceptions about the disease. The current opioid crisis has exacerbated this marginalization, leading to tragic and often deadly consequences,” said Dr. Grover. “I believe that treating addiction requires a fresh perspective, challenging of societal norms, and a compassionate, grace-filled approach.”
Working in Vancouver’s notorious downtown eastside to pay for her theological education at Regent College, Dr. Grover was faced with questions about whether or not providing people who use drugs with sterile supplies and a place to inject contravened her faith. She knew she wanted to care for people with addiction but did not know how to do so in a way that fit her moral code.
Dr. Grover wrestled with these questions over the years and through her transition from nursing to becoming a fully licensed physician who specializes in addiction medicine. Why I Help People Take Drugs includes her insights along the way, describing patient stories that influenced her practice. Dr. Grover describes her own evangelical Christian lens and how it applies when considering the societal role in the current opioid crisis. She touches on topics such as harm reduction, recovery, decriminalization, and involuntary treatment, with patient examples interwoven with medical education about addiction.
“My hope for the book is that Christians will better understand the complexity of stories that each person with addiction brings to the table – and notice the way that God works among people with addiction,” said Dr. Grover. “It’s my hope that Christians will then recognize and defend the place of addiction care as bringing hope to people who use drugs by meeting them where they are at and treating their illness. But my subversive hope is that hearing my journey will cause readers to deepen their own. It’s okay to not know where to start – you just have to be willing to start somewhere. In this way, you will find the kingdom of God coming to earth all around you as more and more people are treated with dignity, respect, and compassion.”
To schedule an interview with Dr. Meera Grover or request a review copy of Why I Help People Take Drugs, contact Paola Theaker at paola@grafmartin.com.
Endorsements
“Why I Help People Take Drugs is thoughtful and introspective, using Dr. Grover’s own experiences to illustrate key concepts of addiction medicine that are commonly misunderstood or misrepresented. While it’s written to her fellow Christians, the ideas are understandable by people of any or no particular faith. It is my hope that this book stimulates conversation, helping to shift public discourse, and perhaps even policy on substance use to be more compassionate and evidence-informed.” – Erin Knight, MD, President-Elect, Canadian Society of Addiction Medicine.
“Gritty, engaging, and powerful, Dr. Grover’s Why I Help People Take Drugs confronts injustice and indifference with compassion and care. This provocative and compelling book challenges Christians to see addiction medicine as a true practice of following Jesus, offering hope and dignity to the marginalized.” – Benjamin Perrin, author of Overdose: Heartbreak and Hope in Canada’s Opiod.
About Dr. Meera Bai Grover
Meera Bai Grover is a medical doctor with the highest level of training in addiction medicine available to physicians in Canada. She began her work in addictions as a theology student at Regent College, Vancouver. Her job in Vancouver’s notorious downtown eastside brought her face-to-face with the ethical questions around safe injection sites as a believer.
Meera now works in Calgary hospitals and community sites (shelters, inner-city clinics) and medical education. She is a graduate of Regent College in Vancouver for theology. She enjoys hiking, gardening, and spending time with her cats and chickens.
Visit www.meeragrover.ca for more information.