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Category: Opinions

  • Drug use norms and expectations: Obsessions and compulsions in our society.

    I used to always say, back in my using days, that speed (methamphetamine) was The American drug. Why? Meth makes its users sharper, more alert, and more focused, and it allowed me to spend entire nights up studying like I’d never been able to study before. Unfortunately, like many other aspects of The American Dream, […]

  • California prison problems: Drug use policy gone awry

    Originally posted on Takepart: I’ve been aware of the unjust nature of our prison system for a while, but a recent NPR story I heard in the car brought the issue front and center again. This piece is a combination summary and extension of that story. Did you know that the US makes up 5% […]

  • Rx for reform: Spend on addiction treatment now, save later.

    This was originally posted on takepart.com: The debate about healthcare reform is raging with democrats and republicans seemingly entrenched in their positions on different sides. The overall question is simple: How do we reduce the cost of healthcare in this country without negatively affecting the quality of it? US healthcare can be some of the […]

  • Healthcare savings and alcohol and drug abuse treatment: Saving lives and money

    A recent paper put out by an initiative called Closing the Addiction Treatment Gap (CATG) talks about some of the cost savings benefits that go along with alcohol and drug abuse treatment. The numbers refer to current treatment methods, success rates, etc., so the savings should only go up as we become more successful and […]

  • Drug abuse statistics: American drug abuse and addiction

    In looking up some numbers for a recent post I put up on TakePart, I uncovered some amazing addiction and drug abuse statistics (most from 2007, so they’re probably higher by now). Addiction statistics highlights: Slightly more than half of Americans surveyed indicated that they are current drinkers (I thought it’d be higher) – Meaning […]

  • Proposition 36 – California’s Addiction Treatment Under Attack!!!

    If you’re not from CA, you may not know about proposition 36. It’s a law, passed by voters in 2000, that mandates treatment, not incarceration, for people arrested on drug charges. Defendants can chose whether to accept it or not if they’re eligible, and before I get angry responses from my “red-state” readers, only non-violent, […]

  • About addiction: Animal research, food addiction, policy, and cocaine addiction

    Here are this weeks gems when it comes to learning about addiction. As usual, if you click this title’s post, you’ll get a list of our related post as a bonus! Adventures in Ethics and Science – A nice post about the current state of the animal-rights dialog Addiction Inbox – Mood Foods (and their […]

  • Tip of the day #1

    If you think you have a problem with drugs yourself, try telling someone who isn’t involved in your drug use. Telling using buddies often leads to little in the way of solutions, but people a bit removed from the situation may have as easier time offering help.

  • UCLA students speaking out about drug use… kind of.

    A recent article in UCLA’s daily newspaper presented the stories of two current students who left behind a life of drug use and petty drug dealing to focus on more long-term priorities, namely school. The students, who used pseudonyms for obvious reasons, show us once again that it is possible to turn around a lifestyle […]