Available From UC Press

Methamphetamine: A Love Story presents an insider’s view of the world of methamphetamine based on the life stories of thirty-three adults formerly immersed in using, dealing, and manufacturing meth in rural Oklahoma. Using a respectful tone towards her subjects, Shukla illuminates their often decades-long love affair with the drug, the attractions of the lifestyle, the eventual unsustainability of it, and the challenges of exiting the life. These personal stories reveal how and why people with limited economic means and inadequate resources become entrapped in the drug epidemic, while challenging longstanding societal views about addiction, drugs, drug policy, and public health.

Rashi K. Shukla is Professor of Criminal Justice at the University of Central Oklahoma. She received her PhD in Criminal Justice from Rutgers University and has served as lead investigator of a multimethod study of the methamphetamine problem for more than a decade. Her research, which focuses on offender decision-making and the evolution of drug problems, has been presented in numerous forums, both nationally and internationally. Learn more about Rashi Shukla at: https://rashishukla.com/methamphetamine-a-love-story/. 

"A powerful book that narrates the stories of methamphetamine 'cooks.' Few scholars can manage the moral integrity and humanity needed for such intimate interactions with their subjects. But in this book we see the reward of doing so. Only by capturing the real essence of their stories is one able to analyze their pathways into the darkness with true understanding."—Miriam Boeri, author of Women on Ice: Methamphetamine Use among Suburban Women

"While the number of interviewed meth users is not large, the depth of the interviews is impressive. The author wisely chooses to write in an accessible style while also including numerous references for those who might be interested. . . . The writing style is such that nonspecialists will find it informative and interesting. University-level students and interested citizens in general should find this book of interest."— Ralph Weisheit, coauthor of Methamphetamine: Its History, Pharmacology, and Treatment