Drugs Without the Hot Air: Making Sense of Legal and Illegal Drugs Volume 3

The dangers of illegal drugs are well known and rarely disputed, but how harmful are alcohol and tobacco by comparison?

The issue of what a drug is and how we should live with them affects us all: parents, teachers, users - anyone who has taken a painkiller or drunk a glass of wine. Written by renowned psychiatrist, Professor David Nutt, Drugs without the hot air casts a refreshingly honest light on drugs and answers crucial questions that are rarely ever disputed. What are we missing by banning medical research into magic mushrooms, LSD and cannabis? Can they be sources of valuable treatments? How can psychedelics treat depression?

Drugs without the hot air covers a wide range of topics, from addiction and whether addictive personalities exist to the role of cannabis in treating epilepsy, an overview on the opioid crisis, and an assessment of how harmful vaping is. This new expanded and revised second edition includes even more details on international policies, particularly in the US. David's research has won international support, reducing drug-related harm by introducing policies that are founded on scientific evidence. But there is still a lot to be done.

Accessibly written, this much-awaited second edition is an important book for everyone that brings us all up to date with the 'war of drugs'.

Preface
Chapter endnotes
URLs and links
Acknowledgements

Why I had to write this book
Is ecstasy more dangerous than horse riding?
How can we measure the harms done by drugs?
Why do people take drugs?
Cannabis, from the medicine of queens to public enemy number one?
Synthetic cannabinoids - the problem of "spice"
If alcohol were discovered today, would it be legal?
"Meow meow" - should mephedrone have been banned?
What is addiction? Is there an "addictive personality"?
Can addiction be cured?
Cocaine - from chewing to crack
Why was smoking banned in public places?
Vaping and snus - to vape or not to vape?
Prescription drugs; the US opioid crisis
Can drugs improve physical and mental performance?
Psychedelics, and their use in treating depression
The War on Drugs, and drugs in war
NPS - novel psychoactive substances
The future of drugs
What should I tell my kids about drugs?

Useful websites
URLs referenced in the text
Index