Drugs without the hot air

David Nutt is a psychiatrist, chair of DrugScience and the Edmund J Safra Professor of Neuropsychopharmacology in Imperial College London. The Times Eureka science magazine voted him one of the 100 most important figures in British Science. David hosts The Drug Science Podcast, and his writing has featured in numerous publications, including The Guardian, the Lancet and BBC Science Focus.

There’s a lifetime’s worth of knowledge and research to dig into here but thanks to Nutt’s direct, no nonsense writing style the book also serves as a masterclass in science communication.

• PrefaceChapter endnotesURLs and linksAcknowledgementsWhy I had to write this bookIs 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 crackWhy was smoking banned in public places?Vaping and snus – to vape or not to vape?Prescription drugs; the US opioid crisisCan drugs improve physical and mental performance?Psychedelics, and their use in treating depressionThe War on Drugs, and drugs in warNPS – novel psychoactive substancesThe future of drugsWhat should I tell my kids about drugs?Useful websitesURLs referenced in the textIndex