Drugs without the hot air

The dangers of illegal drugs are well known and rarely disputed, but how harmful are alcohol and tobacco by comparison?

The issue of what a drug is and how we should live with them affects us all: parents, teachers, users – anyone who has taken a painkiller or drunk a glass of wine. Written by renowned psychiatrist, Professor David Nutt, Drugs without the hot air casts a refreshingly honest light on drugs and answers crucial questions that are rarely ever disputed. What are we missing by banning medical research into magic mushrooms, LSD and cannabis? Can they be sources of valuable treatments? How can psychedelics treat depression?

Drugs without the hot air covers a wide range of topics, from addiction and whether addictive personalities exist to the role of cannabis in treating epilepsy, an overview on the opioid crisis, and an assessment of how harmful vaping is. This new expanded and revised second edition includes even more details on international policies, particularly in the US. David's research has won international support, reducing drug-related harm by introducing policies that are founded on scientific evidence. But there is still a lot to be done.

Accessibly written, this much-awaited second edition is an important book for everyone that brings us all up to date with the 'war of drugs'.

“I don't think you could ask for a more sensible, clear-eyed, and useful book about drugs, from the ones your doctor prescribes to the ones your bartender serves you to the ones you can go to jail for possessing. Nutt is not just a great and principled campaigner, nor merely a talented and dedicated scientist - he's also a superb communicator.- Cory Doctorow, Boing Boing 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. - BBC Science Focus magazine Drugs with the Hot Air is the perfect book for anyone who wants to understand drugs, their risks and benefits. David avoids all the prejudices and misinformation, common in too many documents in this field. He writes simply. He is a pleasure to read. - Baroness Meacher, House of Lords We've long been in the grip of extraordinarily destructive drugs policies. There is no better guide to how to get out of this mess than David Nutt. Written by one of the most distinctive voices in the field, Drugs Without the Hot Air offers the basis for a pragmatic, science-based drugs policy. From alcohol and smoking, cannabis and crack, to the contemporary opioid epidemic, Nutt punctures the myths and tells it like it is. A manifesto and a must-read. - Tim Newburn, Professor of Criminology & Social Policy, LSE Engaging, informed, contemporary and wise: David Nutt's new edition will inform anyone touched by the myriad psychoactive chemicals we call drugs. That's everyone. - Peter B Jones, Professor of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge The amazing Professor David Nutt has done it again. The must-read second edition has even more drugs and even less hot air! - Prof Val Curran, Director UCL Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit Drugs without the hot air is a highly readable and informative survey of the current state of play on recreational drug use and abuse by one of our leading clinical psychopharmacologists. David Nutt confronts the many controversial issues concerning both legal and illegal drug use, including its political regulation, with a combination of common sense, evidence-based argument and passion. - Trevor Robbins, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Cambridge Professor Nutt takes the reader on a fascinating journey into the history and science of psychoactive substances - legal and illegal - and explores the disconnect between the science and policy. He effectively tackles media scare stories deconstructing the evidence and challenging dominant narratives around drugs. Most importantly Professor Nutt highlights the damage done by the War on Drugs and considers alternative approaches to reduce the harms of the illicit drugs trade. This book is for anyone interested in learning about drugs and drug policy - it is accessible, engaging, thought-provoking and there is definitely not a hint of hot air. - Niamh Eastwood, Executive Director of Release, Centre of expertise on drugs and drugs law A clear and reasonable perspective on a complicated and controversial area from an expert unafraid of talking sense to power about addictive drugs, legal or illegal. - Ed Bullmore, Professor of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge and Author of "The Inflamed Mind" Professor David Nutt is the most trusted drug scientist in the world. In Drugs Without the Hot Air, he demonstrates that this distinction is well earned. He makes a compelling case for removing the hysteria and political rhetoric from discussions of drug policy, so that we might pursue a more rational, evidence-based approach. This is one of the most comprehensive treatments of the subject. You won't be the same after reading it. - Carl Hart, Professor of Psychology, Columbia University and author of 'Drug Use for Grown-Ups'”

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. BBC Science Focus magazine
Professor David Nutt is the most trusted drug scientist in the world. In Drugs Without the Hot Air, he demonstrates that this distinction is well earned. Carl Hart, author and professor of psychology at Columbia University
I don't think you could ask for a more sensible, clear-eyed, and useful book about drugs, from the ones your doctor prescribes to the ones your bartender serves you to the ones you can go to jail for possessing. Nutt is not just a great and principled campaigner, nor merely a talented and dedicated scientist - he's also a superb communicator. Cory Doctorow, Boing Boing
Drugs with the Hot Air is the perfect book for anyone who wants to understand drugs, their risks and benefits. David avoids all the prejudices and misinformation, common in too many documents in this field. He writes simply. He is a pleasure to read. Baroness Meacher, House of Lords
Written by one of the most distinctive voices in the field, Drugs Without the Hot Air offers the basis for a pragmatic, science-based drugs policy. From alcohol and smoking, cannabis and crack, to the contemporary opioid epidemic, Nutt punctures the myths and tells it like it is. A manifesto and a must-read. Tim Newburn, Professor of Criminology & Social Policy at LSE
Engaging, informed, contemporary and wise: David Nutt's new edition will inform anyone touched by the myriad psychoactive chemicals we call drugs. That's everyone. Peter B Jones, Professor of Psychiatr at the, University of Cambridge
The amazing Professor David Nutt has done it again. The must-read second edition has even more drugs and even less hot air! Prof Val Curran, Director UCL Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit
A clear and reasonable perspective on a complicated and controversial area from an expert unafraid of talking sense to power about addictive drugs, legal or illegal. Ed Bullmore, Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge and author of The Inflamed Mind
Drugs without the hot air is a highly readable and informative survey of the current state of play on recreational drug use and abuse by one of our leading clinical psychopharmacologists. David Nutt confronts the many controversial issues concerning both legal and illegal drug use, including its political regulation, with a combination of common sense, evidence-based argument and passion. Trevor Robbins, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Cambridge
Professor Nutt takes the reader on a fascinating journey into the history and science of psychoactive substances – legal and illegal – and explores the disconnect between the science and policy... This book is for anyone interested in learning about drugs and drug policy - it is accessible, engaging, thought-provoking and there is definitely not a hint of hot air. Niamh Eastwood, Executive Director of Release at the Centre of expertise on drugs and drugs law

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.

The dangers of illegal drugs are well known and rarely disputed, but how harmful are alcohol and tobacco by comparison? What are we missing by banning medical research into magic mushrooms, LSD and cannabis? Can they be sources of valuable treatments? The second edition of Drugs without the hot air looks at the science to allow anyone to make rational decisions based on objective evidence, asking: What is addiction? Is there an addictive personality? What is the role of cannabis in treating epilepsy? How harmful is vaping? How can psychedelics treat depression? *Where is the opioid crisis taking us?

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