Drug Use
Opioids and Cigarettes Are Both Harmful, but Opioids Have Valid Medical Uses
We mustn’t apply the same harm reduction strategies to both
Stories by Maia Szalavitz
Behavior
The FDA Shouldn’t Support a Ban on Kratom
The herbal supplement can be abused, but given the explosion in opioid deaths, eliminating this safer substitute will almost certainly lead to more deaths
Behavior
Harm Reduction Is the Best Approach for COVID and Drug Addiction
In both cases, harm reduction is a better strategy than draconian rules that feel virtuous but don’t actually work
Policy
We’re Overlooking a Major Culprit in the Opioid Crisis
Pharmaceutical companies and drug dealers have been part of the problem—but so have policy makers
Behavior
Income Inequality’s Most Disturbing Side Effect: Homicide
Where financial disparities are greatest, the murder rate tends to be high
Mental Health
The Social Life of Opioids
New studies strengthen ties between loss, pain and drug use
Neuroscience
Dopamine: The Currency of Desire
Rethinking the “pleasure molecule” could help scientists better understand addiction, Parkinson’s disease and motivation
Public Health
Opioid Overdose: Emergency Treatment Is Crucial, but It's Not Enough
The opioid-blocking drug naloxone is a crucial first step, but there must be immediate follow-up to keep the cycle of addiction from continuing
Medicine
Opioid Addiction Is a Huge Problem, but Pain Prescriptions Are Not the Cause
Cracking down on highly effective pain medications will make patients suffer for no good reason
Behavior
The Addictive Personality Isn't What You Think It Is
Author Maia Szalavitz rebrands addiction as a learning disorder, exploring new approaches to tolerance, prevention and treatment
Mental Health
Autism—It's Different in Girls
New research suggests the disorder often looks different in females, many of whom are being misdiagnosed and missing out on the support they need
Mind & Brain
How to Protect Yourself against Bad Self-Help
Dangers lurk within the U.S.'s $12-billion self-help industry. Here is how to spot the warning signs
Mind & Brain
Trauma in Disguise
A child's hyperactivity may be a symptom of distress
