When we think of potentially dangerous and addictive drugs, most of us think about illegal substances like heroine or cocaine. And yet widely-prescribed drugs like Xanax, Ritalin, Adderall, and Vicodin are also addictive, but legal in the United States. Historian David Herzberg discusses the artificial distinction that has been created between addictive drugs and medicines … Continued
The program DARE — in which police officers stepped into the role of teacher to warn 5th and 6th graders away from drugs — is an object of humor today. But historian Max Felker-Kantor argues that we should take DARE seriously. He posits that the program, which at its height brought police into 75% of … Continued
Medicines – we’re told by the pharmaceuticals industry – are expensive by necessity owing to the high costs of research and development. Yet, as with the vaccines for Covid, much research is publicly-funded, and much comes out of universities. And, as Nick Dearden argues, only 3% of new drugs even represent actual breakthroughs. Instead most … Continued
Americans as a population have an unusually large appetite for psychoactive drugs, whether legal or illegal. And American history has been marked by periodic moral panics over drug use and normalization or legalization, as we’re experiencing right now. Why is that? What is it about US society that makes drug use simultaneously so appealing and … Continued
Oakland’s Police Department has been a poster child for abusive and violent law enforcement. But award-winning journalist Darwin BondGraham argues that the OPD is exceptional only because of the scrutiny it’s received. He discusses the department’s history from the Red Scare of the 1920s to the Black Panthers in the 1960s to Occupy Oakland in … Continued
Crime is way down, and law and order advocates argue that’s the result of expanded policing and other punitive measures. But sociologist Alex Vitale says there’s no evidence that’s true. He discusses how expanded policing is the flip side of neoliberal economic austerity and the slashing of social services. Resources: Alex Vitale, The End of … Continued
At this time of year many people who suffer from addictions find the holidays to be particularly stressful. Isolation, illness, poverty, neglect, pain, and abuse, are some of the things that can influence a person to use drugs as an escape from what they are feeling and thinking. I will be joined by Jennifer Golick, LMFT and Jorge … Continued
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We speak with author, music and culture critic Nelson George. And later we speak with Rick “Freeway” Ross about his legal battles to over the use of his name. About Nelson George: He is an author, filmmaker, television producer, and critic with a long career in analyzing and presenting the diverse elements of African-American culture. … Continued
With Sam Quinones, journalist and author of the book Dreamland: The True Tale of America’s Opiate Epidemic. The San Francisco Chronicle Book Review has called Quinones “the most original writer on Mexico and the border.” His new book is about the opiate trade.
