Drug overdose deaths have reached record levels in the United States, with an overwhelming majority of fatalities linked to opioids. Yet that hasn’t stopped Carl Hart, a psychology professor at Columbia University, from writing in a new book that the “opioid crisis” should have square quotes around it and even more absurdly, that the predominant effects of hard drugs such as heroin, cocaine and meth are “positive.” A daily heroin user, Hart declares that most opioid overdoses are actually the result of opioids mixed with alcohol or other sedatives—as if that makes a difference to the victim or his or her family. He confuses questions about the decriminalization of drugs, which is appropriate, with addiction as a disease, arguing that everyone has the right to “the pursuit of pleasure.” As drugs continue to destroy lives and communities, this book trivializes the use of drugs and minimizes the impact of addiction—and is a disservice to all those struggling with substance abuse.
And finally, Forbes looks at the life of Sheldon Adelson, the casino mogul and backer of anti-marijuana legislation who died this week. Adelson had a son who died of a drug overdose, which supposedly motivated him to become one of the strongest supporters of anti-legalization measures. But Adelson eventually stopped funding such campaigns, leaving the movement without a major backer at a time when public opinion was shifting decisively in favor of legalization.