Maia Szalavitz
Five Studies: Mental Health Courts Are Finding Their Footing
Can judges work with psychiatrists to help solve mass incarceration?
Empathy for the Rest of Us
Why we cringe for our fellow humans, and why it's so important.
How America Overdosed on Drug Courts
Hailed as the most compassionate way for the criminal justice system to deal with addicts, drug courts were designed to balance punishment with rehabilitation. But after 25 years, the verdict is in: Drug courts embolden judges to practice medicine without a license—and they put lives in danger.
Here's What's Wrong With How U.S. Doctors Respond to Painkiller Misuse
Too often, Americans with painful medical conditions who misuse pain pills like Oxycontin are denied further treatment and even prosecuted. There are more effective, enlightened responses—as the U.K. has shown for decades.
The Drug Lord With a Social Mission
Matt Bowden (sometimes known as Starboy, an "interdimensional traveler") helped create one of the most viral outbreaks of new drugs in history. He might also have the antidote.
Never Before Has Our Approach to Drugs Improved So Much, So Fast
We're winning: More progress has been made toward enlightened drug policies and treatment in the past five years than in the previous 25. Here's an advocacy agenda to take us even closer to the future we need.
One Hundred Years Ago, Prohibition Began in Earnest
On December 17, 1914, Congress passed the Harrison Act, making non-medical opium and cocaine illegal. It was really about punishment, not public health. And it set the tone for a disastrous century.
The 'New York Times' Is Hooked on Drug du Jour Journalism
For the paper of record, addiction is always about this drug or that drug rather than the real causes.
It’s Time to Reclaim the Word 'Recovery'
It's empowering to say publicly that you are in recovery from addiction. But for some, recovery is a members-only club for people who are totally abstinent. That leaves most of us out in the cold.
DIY Drugs and the Digital Future of Getting High
Journalist Mike Power broke the story of the drug revolution that the rest of the media largely ignores—he even created a drug of his own to prove it. He tells us how legal highs and the Internet are transforming use and challenging policy.
Don’t Forget Why Marijuana Legalization Is Winning
The mid-term elections prove that support for legalizing weed continues to grow. But progress has been rolled back before—it's important to remember how we got here if we're to keep moving forward.
Of Course Marijuana Addiction Exists
The polarized legalization debate leads to exaggerated claims and denials about pot's potential harms. The truth lies somewhere in between.
Most People With Addiction Simply Grow Out of It
The idea that addiction is typically a chronic, progressive disease that requires treatment is false, the evidence shows. Yet the "aging out" experience of the majority is ignored by treatment providers and journalists.
What I’ve Finally Concluded About 12-Step Programs
Alcoholics Anonymous and the rest remain the biggest and most polarizing force in the addiction community. I quit heroin and cocaine using the steps and have covered addiction as a journalist—and I'd argue that the picture is decidedly mixed.
Trying to Scare Teenagers Away From Drugs Doesn’t Work
Colorado is displaying human-sized "lab rat cages" in an effort to warn teens off marijuana. Like most such attempts, it's a waste of money.
Robin Williams and the Stigma of Mental Illness
Addiction treatment routinely fails people with mental illnesses, while mental health care often ignores addiction. And everywhere, stigma is rife. Can a tragic death prompt a more intelligent approach?
The NYT Coverage of Other Drugs Still Doesn’t Cut It
The paper of record has finally backed marijuana legalization. Yet it continues to fête drug warriors and stigmatize addiction.
Addiction Is a Learning Disorder
Addiction is not about our brains being "hijacked" by drugs or experiences—it's about learned patterns of behavior. Our inability to understand this leads to no end of absurdities.
Addiction Is Different in America
Whether it's our drug use, our laws, or the treatment options we have on offer, the U.S. frequently stands out. And that's not always something to celebrate.
Teen Dealers Should Not Be the Victims of Revenge
A Minnesota high school student overdosed on a synthetic drug she got from some fellow teens. The prosecutor is charging them as adults—with third-degree murder—in order to "send a message." That's the wrong one.
Can Recovery High Schools Keep Kids Off Drugs?
Treatment for teens with drug problems can be stigmatizing and punitive. Advocates say that recovery high schools offer a kinder, less dogmatic, and more effective alternative.
Why 'Substance Abuse' Is a Label We Should All Reject
There is clear evidence that the phrases "substance abuse" and "substance abuser" harm, as well as disparage, people with addiction. It's time to ditch these terms.
This Is (Finally) the Beginning of the End of the War on Drugs
With the advent of marijuana legalization, alternatives to incarceration, harm reduction as treatment, and other rational approaches to addiction, 2014 could be an unprecedented turning point.
After 75 Years of AA, It's Time to Admit We Have a Problem
Challenging the 12-step hegemony.