Aired: 06/16/13
How many of you agree that the War on Drugs is one of the most irrational, wasteful, counterproductive, and harmful things our federal government does in our name? Long after anyone can pretend that it might ever be won, this war lumbers on bloated and clumsy and obscenely unjust -- a monument to the corruption of money from the prison industrial complex, BIg Pharma and others, and to the cowardice of elected officials.
This week's guest, neuroscientist CARL HART grew up in one of Miami's toughest neighborhoods and, in his first book, HIGH PRICE, he explores how it is that he avoided becoming one of the crack addicts he now studies.
Columbia University's first tenured African American professor in the sciences, Hart goes beyond disputing myths, falsehoods, and ignorance about drugs, drug users, and drug policy. He has been engaged in cutting edge research since the late 90s, testing individuals with actual drugs. His controversial work is redefining our understanding of addiction. He examines the relationships between drugs, pleasure, choice, and motivation, both in the brain and in society. Hart's findings shed new light on issues of race, poverty, and drugs, and help explain perhaps more clearly than ever why current policies are doomed to fail.
Free Forum with Terrence McNally