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Three Years Clean: Joe’s Journey

Photo credit Aaron Henkin/WYPR
Photo credit Aaron Henkin/WYPR

For Joe, drugs were a convenient escape from childhood trauma, but when he was introduced to crack cocaine at age thirteen, he slipped fast into the grip of addiction. By age 17, Joe was sent to prison for robbery and assault. When he got out, eight years later, he discovered a new addiction – fentanyl. Joe talks with Theo about the near-death overdose that ultimately spurred him into recovery, where he finally had to face a lifetime of unresolved personal pain.

Aaron creates and produces original radio programs and podcasts for WYPR. His current project is The Maryland Curiosity Bureau. Aaron's neighborhood documentary series, Out of the Blocks, earned the 2018 national Edward R Murrow Award. His past work includes the long-running weekly cultural program, The Signal, and the Smithsonian Folkways Recordings series, Tapestry of the Times. Aaron's stories have aired nationally on NPR's Morning Edition and All Things Considered.