Drug Use
Doctors Prescribing Opioids in Good Faith Should Not Be Prosecuted
The Supreme Court will consider a case that has had a chilling effect on medical practice
Drug Use47 articles archived since 1845
Artificial Intelligence
How AI Could Prevent the Development of New Illicit Drugs
The DarkNPS algorithm has predicted the formulas of millions of potential drugs
Drug Use
Cigarette Smoke Kills Eye Cells
A new study reveals how tobacco from traditional or noncombusted cigarettes kills corneal cells
Health Care
Can Psychedelic Drugs Treat Physical Pain?
LSD and psilocybin increasingly show promise as mental health treatments. Now universities and companies are exploring their use in pain management
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
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
Animals
Caffeine Boosts Bees’ Focus and Helps Them Learn
By associating caffeinated sugar water and a target scent, researchers teach bumblebees to stay on task
Policy
Weed Shouldn’t Be Banned for Elite Athletes, Some Experts Say
The disqualification of a leading U.S. Olympics candidate has brought the World Anti-Doping Agency’s marijuana prohibition under fire
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
Medicine
MDMA Shows New Promise for Trauma, but the Drug Alone Is Not a Cure
The illegal substance—paired with intensive therapy and hard work—dramatically improves PTSD symptoms
Medicine
Psilocybin Therapy May Work as Well as Common Antidepressant
For the first time, a randomized controlled trial shows the psychedelic offers potent, if short-term, relief in comparison with an SSRI
Public Health
Vaping Industry Echoes Big Tobacco’s Misleading Call for Science
To understand the battle over e-cigarettes, one must look to history—and big tobacco
Mental Health
What if a Pill Can Change Your Politics or Religious Beliefs?
A new mental health treatment using the psychedelic compound psilocybin raises questions about medicine and values
Behavior
Fighting Back against the Stigma of Addiction
When health care providers demonize people addicted to drugs or alcohol, it just makes the problem worse
Behavior
Americans Increase LSD Use—and a Bleak Outlook for the World May Be to Blame
Millennials and older adults lead the surge while Gen Z stays on the sidelines
Medicine
Penicillium Fungus Hosts Surprising Opioid Compounds
Next-generation opioids may spring from a tiny fungus protein
Medicine
Johns Hopkins Scientists Give Psychedelics the Serious Treatment
The first research center of its kind in the country is bringing renewed rigor to the investigation of the drugs’ therapeutic uses
Neuroscience
Brain Circuit Involved in Compulsive Drinking Identified in Mice
Activity in this circuit predicted which animals would keep drinking despite negative consequences
Public Health
How to Quit Opioids
Dr. Ellen Hendriksen dives into the history of the epidemic and asks behavior coach Eric Zimmer for his most vital advice on addiction recovery
Behavior
New Clues Found in Understanding Near-Death Experiences
Research finds parallels to certain psychoactive drugs
