Dirkh

LATEST ARTICLES ( 312 )

• The Undiagnosed Epidemic of Incarceration

  

  Prison once again a place for addicts and the mentally ill. Readers may remember the dark day of January 1, 2008, when the U.S. set an all-time record: One out... Read more

  Posted on 05 July 2011 HEALTH, PSYCHOLOGY, SCIENCE

• Other Posts, Other Places

  

  News and views from the drug blog at The Fix. A selection of recent posts I've written at The Fix, where I edit the blog as senior contributing editor. Some... Read more

  Posted on 29 June 2011 HEALTH, PSYCHOLOGY, SCIENCE

• That Pesky Gambling Question

  

  The DSM-V is set to label problem gambling an addiction. Nobody has ever bet enough on the winning horse. — Unknown wise person I used to gamble. Back when I... Read more

  Posted on 25 June 2011 PSYCHOLOGY, SCIENCE

• How the Drug War Ended

  

  Thoughts on the 40th anniversary of the War on Drugs. Last week marked the end of four decades of drug wars first unleashed under President Richard Nixon. Read more

  Posted on 19 June 2011 HEALTH, SCIENCE, SOCIETY

• Why Are Treatment Centers Afraid of Anti-Craving Medications?

  

  Using What Works Why do so many drug treatment centers continue to shun science by ignoring medications that ease the burden of withdrawal for many addicts?... Read more

  Posted on 13 June 2011 HEALTH, PSYCHOLOGY

• For Smokers, Nowhere to Run and Nowhere to Hide

  

  (With love and apologies to Martha and the Vandellas.) That wonderful song goes on to declare: 'Cause I know You're no good for me But you’ve become A part of... Read more

  Posted on 07 June 2011 HEALTH, PSYCHOLOGY, SCIENCE

• For Smokers

  

  (With love and apologies to Martha and the Vandellas.) That wonderful song goes on to declare: 'Cause I know You're no good for me But you’ve become A part of... Read more

  Posted on 03 June 2011 HEALTH, PSYCHOLOGY, SCIENCE

• Steve Earle and the Ghost of Hank Williams

  

  Book Review: I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive Musician Steve Earle made a solo name for himself with Guitar Town and Copperhead Road after playing in... Read more

  Posted on 31 May 2011 BOOKS, CULTURE

• An Assortment of Drug-Related Articles

  

  Misc. Stuff Etc. In this post, I offer up an assortment of links to articles, mostly by me, and other related material, so that I can put checkmarks after a... Read more

  Posted on 22 May 2011 HEALTH, PSYCHOLOGY

• Bill Manville’s Booze Book

  

  A “professional bar fly” who flirted with death and Helen Gurley Brown. "From the drinking man's classic, Saloon Society, back in the Sixties, to his sadder... Read more

  Posted on 19 May 2011 HEALTH, PSYCHOLOGY, SCIENCE

• Does Menthol Really Matter?

  

  Nicotine experts say menthol makes addiction more likely--but differ over what to do about it. Back in the 1920s, Lloyd “Spud” Hughes of Mingo Junction, Ohio,... Read more

  Posted on 12 May 2011 HEALTH, PSYCHOLOGY, SCIENCE

• Falling Down and Getting Up: Nic Sheff’s New Addiction Book

  

  Sheff jumps back on the carousel, lives to tell about it. What would it be like to have written a drug memoir and an autobiography before you turned 30? Would i... Read more

  Posted on 08 May 2011 BOOKS, CULTURE, HEALTH, PSYCHOLOGY

• Addiction in the Courtroom [Guest Post]

  

  Forensic psychology and the paradox of addiction. The following article was written by Allison Gamble, who blogs at www.forensicpsychology.net. The paradox... Read more

  Posted on 05 May 2011 HEALTH, PSYCHOLOGY, SCIENCE

• Are E-Cigarettes a Good Idea Or a Bad Idea?

  

  A group of nicotine researchers argue for an alternative. Electronic cigarettes are here to stay. If you're not familiar with them, e-cigarettes are designed... Read more

  Posted on 01 May 2011 HEALTH, PSYCHOLOGY, SCIENCE

• Let’s Get Cellular: Meth Metabolism

  

  Fruit flies on methamphetamine metabolize glucose differently. We know from the work of Nora Volkow and others that meth abusers have chronically low levels... Read more

  Posted on 21 April 2011 BIOLOGY, CHEMISTRY, HEALTH, PSYCHOLOGY, SCIENCE

• So, Like, We’re Watching the LSD Episode of The Fringe...

  

  Lysergic Acid Diethylamide So this guy I know? Like really, really well? He’s over at my place and we’re watching The Fringe on TV and smoking a bowl, excuse me... Read more

  Posted on 19 April 2011 HEALTH, PSYCHOLOGY, SCIENCE

• Medical Cigarettes

  

  Is it “Inhumane” to Take Cigarettes Away from Schizophrenics? In an article for Brain Blogger a couple of years ago, I looked into the astonishing fact that, a... Read more

  Posted on 15 April 2011 HEALTH, PSYCHOLOGY

• Drug Czar Kerlikowske Interviewed in Foreign Policy Magazine

  

  Drug War goes international in a big way. Gil Kerlikowske, Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy--a.k.a. the Drug Czar--finds himself in a... Read more

  Posted on 12 April 2011 CURRENT, SOCIETY

• Marijuana, Vomiting, and Hot Baths

  

  A case history of cannabinoid hyperemesis. Cannabinoid hyperemesis, as it's known, is an extremely rare but terrifying disorder marked by severe episodic... Read more

  Posted on 08 April 2011 HEALTH, MEDICINE, PSYCHOLOGY

• When Smokers Move

  

  Is your new house a thirdhand smoke reservoir? In the first published examination of thirdhand smoke pollution and exposure, researchers at San Diego State... Read more

  Posted on 07 April 2011 HEALTH, MEDICINE, PSYCHOLOGY