A couple of smart takes (old takes) from Mark Kleinman.On why legalize alcohol, but criminalize other drugs?...if the line between legal and illegal drugs needs to track some imagined line between "good drugs" and "bad drugs," drug policy is profoundly incoherent. But there's no need for such a link. There are, among intoxicants, no "good" … Continue reading More on prohibition

Addiction Inbox offers a little perspective on Bill Gates and Michael Bloomberg's anti-tobacco efforts. The best thing about the post is the British anti-smoking ad.

Mental Floss offers a brief take on alcohol prohibition as part of it's 20 greatest mistakes in history. Here's an excerpt:It certainly seemed like a great idea at the time: Just outlaw liquor and, bam!, goodbye social ills of every stripe—from the Germans to the Irish. Yes, pandering to xenophobia was the favorite tactic among … Continue reading Prohibition

A new study suggests a staggering increase in the risk of experiencing sexual aggression by young women when they drink heavily:According to researchers at the University at Buffalo's Research Institute on Addictions (RIA), the odds of 18-19 year old college women experiencing sexual aggression are 19 times greater when they binge drink than when they … Continue reading Heavy drinking and the risk of assualt

The outrage...

Another study finds that important reversals in addiction related brain adaptations occur in the first 90 days of recovery.It has been hypothesized that persistent drug seeking alters the brain's natural reward and motivational system. The current study focuses on how drug seeking alters the communication between brain cells in this critical circuitry. In the normal … Continue reading Three months

A strength to be harnessed from life in the drug culture?Fairlie was interested in entrepreneurship in the black market and how it relates to legitimate entrepreneurship. So he looked at data regarding drug dealers, and he found that they were 10 to 11 percent more likely to become self-employed in legitimate businesses than people who … Continue reading Dealing and entrepreneurship