Why comparing technology to drugs isn’t simply a question of addiction
Some technologies can be used to manipulate mood. Drug research offers insights into their possible impact.
Academic rigor, journalistic flair
Articles on Drugs
Displaying 1 - 20 of 167 articles
Marijuana age limit should be low - not high
Allowing young people to legally access marijuana will improve cannabis education and use-prevention, and hinder illegal activity.
Pot with patents could plant the seeds of future lawsuits
The federal government outlaws marijuana, but many states are legalizing it. Coupled with the growing number of cannabis-related patents, the potential for court battles is dizzying.
ATMs dispense more than money: The dirt and dope that’s on your cash
What's on your cash? Studies show our money carries everything from pet DNA and old food to E.coli and traces of cocaine.
Social media is nothing like drugs, despite all the horror stories
Social media is not a drug. Yes it can have negative effects, but it has positive effects too.
FactCheck Q&A: are rates of drug use 2.5 times higher among unemployed people than employed people?
Social Services Minister Christian Porter told Q&A that 'rates of drug use amongst unemployed are 2.5 times higher than amongst employed people'. Is that correct?
Why Amazon should keep prescription drugs off its voluminous shelves
Amazon currently sells pretty much everything, including the kitchen sink, but medications are very different from books and fidget spinners.
Three charts on: Australia’s changing drug and alcohol habits
The proportion of population who use legal and illegal drugs has remained stable or trended down. Fewer young people are using, but the proportion of older people using drugs and alcohol has grown.
Growing use of smart drugs by students could be a recipe for disaster
Students taking 'smart drugs' to boost their academic performance are putting their health at risk.
America’s mass incarceration problem in 5 charts – or, why Sessions shouldn’t bring back mandatory minimums
Jeff Sessions wants prosecutors to 'charge and pursue the most serious, readily provable offense.' That's a step back to our failed experiment in mass incarceration.
Fact Check: do the police spend over a million hours a year fighting cannabis?
The figures don't really add up.
Australia should stop beefing up its steroid laws – that won’t help users
There is an urgent need to reconsider steroid use as a public health issue as opposed to a criminal justice concern.
Spice and police custody: there must be a better way
The new psychoactive drug Spice is taking its toll on frontline policing.
Prescribing generic drugs will reduce patient confusion and medication errors
A push towards prescribing generic medications rather than their branded equivalents, as flagged in the budget, may have benefits beyond simple cost savings.
Placebos work even when patients know what they are
In many trials, patients have been told they're getting the sugar pill. They still got better.
Found with cocaine in Colombia, we should presume Cassandra Sainsbury’s innocence
Twenty-two-year-old Australian woman Cassandra Sainsbury was arrested on April 11 at El Dorado airport in Bogota, Colombia. Sainsbury was due to return to Australia via London. Her suitcase contained 5.8kg…
Ella Fitzgerald’s flirtation with reefer songs
Just as Fitzgerald's career was taking off, jazz was under attack for its purported connection to drug culture. If she wanted to become a mainstream superstar, she needed to make a choice.
Why South Africa should follow Portugal and decriminalise drug use
Portugal won the war on drugs by giving up. What lessons can South Africa learn from their approach?
Weekly Dose: ayahuasca, a cautionary tale for tourists eager to try this shamanic brew
Shaman have used the psychoactive effects of ayahuasca for spiritual and healing purposes for hundreds of years. But a new breed of tourist has discovered this plant-based drug.
How we could make cannabis safer for users
Smoking cannabis can cause addition, impaired memory and even psychosis.
Top contributors
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Senior Lecturer of Addiction, Edith Cowan University
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University of Sydney
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Professor at the National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University
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Professor and Director, Centre for Youth Substance Abuse Research, The University of Queensland
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Sessional Lecturer, Department of Economics, University of Melbourne
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Professor & Specialist in Drug Policy, UNSW
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Senior Lecturer in Criminology, Macquarie University
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Lecturer in Mental Health, University of York
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Senior lecturer in Pharmacology, University of Adelaide
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NHMRC Post-Doc Research Fellow, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW
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Emeritus Consultant, St Vincent's Hospital, Darlinghurst
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Researcher, Institute for Sport, Exercise and Active Living and Senior Lecturer, College of Sport and Exercise Science, Victoria University
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Professor of Pharmacology, University of Sydney
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Nial Wheate is a Friend of The Conversation.
BPharm Coordinator and Senior Lecturer, University of Sydney
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Senior Lecturer in Chemistry, University of Birmingham
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