Additional information
by Jude Hassan (Author)
From Honor Roll to Heroin: One Teen's Descent and Determined Comeback
Jude Hassan had everything a kid could ask for-loving parents, a safe home, and a future full of promise. At fourteen, his family moved from the city to a quiet, affluent suburb outside St. Louis. Suddenly the new kid, Jude struggled to fit in-but he kept his grades up, stayed busy with sports, and did everything right. Until one night changed everything.
What started with curiosity and a hit of marijuana at a party spiraled into a fast-moving descent through prescription pills, deceit, addiction-and ultimately, heroin. By the time he was a high school sophomore, Jude's life was unrecognizable. He lost it all: trust, opportunity, direction. Recovery was neither quick nor easy. It would take multiple stints in rehab, forced detoxes in jail, the heartbreak of his father's cancer diagnosis, and a looming decades-long prison sentence to shake him awake.
Suburban Junky is a raw, gripping memoir of a teenager's fall into addiction and his long, painful climb back. Honest, emotional, and unflinching, this is not just a story of survival-it's a cautionary tale that should be read by all parents and teens.
A letter from the author: "When I first wrote Suburban Junky, the United States was in the midst of a relentless heroin epidemic. Ten years later, it pains me to say that things have only gotten worse. Heroin has taken a back seat to fentanyl, a synthetic opioid one-hundred times stronger than morphine and fifty times stronger than heroin. In 2021, drug overdose deaths topped 100,000 for the first time on record. That amounts to one overdose death every five minutes. To make matters even worse, counterfeit pills have flooded the streets. Illegal pill presses are churning out fentanyl-laced Percocets and Xanax bars at an alarming rate. In turn, these pills are then pushed to unsuspecting teens and addicts all across the country. It's a toxic combination that has led to incredible pain and suffering and far too many deaths. I hope that my story will help bring awareness to the perils of teenage drug use. I hope that my story saves the kid out there who might be lost, or stuck at a crossroads like I was. Finally, for those already suffering, there is life after drugs. It is beautiful and achievable."
Author Biography
Jude Hassan was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and lives there to this day with his wife and son. Jude published his memoir, Suburban Junky, following the loss of his dear friend to addiction. Along with his role as a speaker and mentor to those seeking help with substance abuse, Jude works in the behavioral health field in St. Louis assisting addicts as they begin the treatment process. Jude's story has garnered both local and national attention due to its relevance to today's heroin and opiate epidemic.
