On Drugs

4.6 (247)
SOCIETY & CULTURE

On Drugs looks through the lenses of history, pop culture and personal experience to understand how drugs have shaped our world. Because even if it’s just caffeine or ibuprofen, there’s a good chance you’re on drugs right now.

09/08/2021

Introducing: The Flamethrowers

The Flamethrowers captures the punch-you-in-the-mouth energy and sound of right-wing talk radio. Host Justin Ling takes us from the fringe preachers and conspiracy peddlers of the 1920s to the political firestorm that rages today. With humour and candour, Ling examines the appeal of broadcasters like Rush Limbaugh, who found a sleeping audience, radicalized it, and became an accidental kingmaker — culminating in the election of Donald Trump. More episodes are available at smarturl.it/theflamethrowers

4 min
09/08/2020 · BONUS

Introducing: Recall: How to Start a Revolution

The 1950s & 60s saw a wave of radical movements. Che Guevara and the Cuban Revolution. The Black Panthers. Quebec and Canada had the FLQ — a showdown that dissolved into crisis. By October 1970, there were soldiers in the streets, communities on edge, kidnapping and terror in the headlines. But those frightening weeks were just the crescendo of a wave of terror and violence that was nearly a decade in the making. This series will reveal the stories of that time through immersive storytelling and the people who lived it: the bomb disposal expert on defusing live explosives, the survivors of terror, their families, and the radicals themselves. More episodes are available at http://hyperurl.co/recallcbc

32 min
05/07/2018

S2 E11 The Spell of the Poppy

Opioid drugs have claimed a shocking number of lives across North America in recent years, as people fall victim to overdose. While the intensity of crisis is new, our relationship with opiates — and opioids, as they're often referred to now — goes back millennia. This is an overdose crisis thousands of years in the making, and in this episode, Geoff Turner dives into that fascinating history to figure out how we got to this point.

1h 2m
05/01/2018

Replay: Miltown: A forgotten pharma game changer

It's just one more week until the season two finale of On Drugs, but in the meantime, enjoy this favourite from last season. It's all about Miltown, a drug that is mostly forgotten today, but helped create modern psychopharmacology. We're proud to announce that this episode is nominated for Best Podcast at the 2018 Radio Television Digital News Association awards.

35 min
04/24/2018

S2 E10 Prison, On Drugs

This episode goes behind bars to learn how Canadian prisons form a nexus of drug crime, trade and addiction. We'll meet people in prison because of crimes committed in the throes of addiction and learn about how prisoners cope with addiction in custody.

43 min
04/22/2018

EXTRA: Bill Blair on implementing cannabis legalization

A feature interview with Bill Blair, the former Toronto Police Chief now in charge of implementing the federal government's cannabis legalization law. He reflects on the transition from drug law enforcement to legalization and regulation.

35 min
04/17/2018

S2 E9 The Trouble with Rehab

Addiction treatment and recovery is a 37 billion dollar industry in North America. Yet despite decades of research and practice, there's still no surefire way to get people clear of substance dependency. In the absence of consistent standards and availability of care, people looking for help can get lost in the search for support. This episode explores the history and present of addiction rehab and recovery.

1h 7m
04/09/2018

S2 E8 Narcotic Farm

The Narcotic Farm in Lexington Kentucky played a major part in shaping the culture around mid-century heroin use in the United States, as well as our understanding of the science of addiction. This week, On Drugs digs into the history of this unique institution and what went on there.

32 min

See All (34)

4.6

out of 5

247 Ratings

SO GOOD

05/18/2020

Augusta87

I love the narrator and the style of podcast. Super education and informative- while also being entertaining, also well edited. Everything a podcast needs to be solid!
Not very interesting

03/01/2021

kayferguson13

...and I subscribe to big pharma...psych meds. If I can fall asleep on a topic that effects me personally, you’re doing something very wrong. I listen to ANYTHING. This subject doesn’t have to sound like a boring college lecture.
Loving it!

08/08/2019

Light worker 73

Very educational. Looking forward to season 3. Too many podcasts going by the wayside. Keep up the great work.
Beautiful, Thoughtful, and Interesting

05/20/2019

SheBearMoon

This is a really interesting podcast, thoughtful and insightful. I like that it isn’t judge mental, it seems to be more about getting to the root cause of drug abuse and addiction. My only regret is that I will run out of episodes too soon because I just can’t stop listening. Thank you Geoff!

On Drugs looks through the lenses of history, pop culture and personal experience to understand how drugs have shaped our world. Because even if it’s just caffeine or ibuprofen, there’s a good chance you’re on drugs right now.