It’s funny how the same old hysterical drug myths refuse to die. Back in 1992 former editor of the Journal Addiction Research & Theory John Booth Davies described the persistent tale of pushers and helpless addicts: “At the present moment, the standard line taken by a majority of people in the media, in treatment agencies,… Continue reading What Stephen Colbert got wrong about the opioid crisis.
Tag: myths
World Series Baseball, Pain Medication, Addiction Falsehoods, And Existential Questions…
Addiction myths permeate our entire culture, even news coverage of the World Series. Which falsehoods are being spread, and how can we debunk them? Does pain medication cause “addiction” or “relapse”?
The Clinician’s Illusion In Addiction and Recovery
A type of bias error called The Clinician’s Illusion has distorted all common knowledge about addiction and recovery. Learn a bit about The Clinician’s Illusion here.
Reality Check – Most Don’t Become Addicted
Contrary to the hype, most drug users don’t become “addicts”. Studies show that only 13.4% of recent heroin users actually become dependent on the drug. It’s time for a reality check on the truth about drug use and addiction.
Bogus Drug Scares
Gawker has a good story on the latest overblown drug scares including i-dosing, flashblooding, and Jenkem. Check it out here: How Bogus Drug Scares Get Started.
The Crack Myth Continues Via EASTENDERS
The popular british soap “Eastenders” now has a crack addiction storyline which was inspired by the real life experiences of the actor playing the addict. Obviously, crack use is dangerous, and I don’t condone it, but I also can’t stand by idly while misinformation is spread about it. The actor, Paul White, is publicly speaking… Continue reading The Crack Myth Continues Via EASTENDERS
Excruciatingly Normal News from Know-Nothing Numbskulls
If you’d like to know why people are so misinformed, you need look no further than your local news. Noah Bond of ABC4 in Salt Lake City recently reported on a new heroin epidemic: A strong batch of heroin is killing addicts in Salt Lake County. At least four people are dead and two others… Continue reading Excruciatingly Normal News from Know-Nothing Numbskulls
The False Dichotomy of "Treat em or Jail em"
Stanton Peele wrote about the treatment or jail dichotomy almost 10 years ago, and what he had to say was brilliant (click the heading of this post to link to it). Almost a decade later, the same argument is presented again and again. The argument goes like this: Drug addicts are breaking the law by… Continue reading The False Dichotomy of "Treat em or Jail em"