Port Hope woman shares life experience of drug use and recovery, plus advocacy and activism

Over the past few weeks, the opioid crisis emerged as a central topic of public debate. Advocates and supporters of people with addictions often urge politicians and bureaucrats to include consultations with people with lived experience. That term, lived experience, means different things to people. It is also a perspective that many don’t understand. What is it like to live with or be recovering from an addiction? In this interview, this experience is the focus. Ashley Smoke, a 33-year-old Port Hope resident, will share her story. She lived with an addiction for 18 years. Now, she is recovering. She is a mother of a four-year-old son. Plus, she is a long-time advocate for people with addictions. She recently formed Northumberland Drug Users Unite, a group seeking to dispel myths about people who face or are recovering from addiction.