Customer Reviews

Matters of Substance: Drugs--and Why Everyone's a User

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In the "war on drugs" most people take one of two fairly radical positions: either drugs are evil and should be completely banned, or are wonderful and don't really do much harm. Both positions are usually very poorly informed. I bought this book hoping to find a well-informed, balanced look at drugs. Unfortunately, this is another poorly informed, biased take by someone who obviously knows little about drugs aside what one could learn from a decent encyclopedia. It is decidedly anti-drug, and completely fails to examine why people would choose to use drugs. Edwards provides plenty of anti-drug statistics, but, when lacking legitimate backing, also reverts to anecdotes and unfounded generalizations to reach his conclusions that governments should do everything in their power to outlaw and discourage use of all drugs excepting caffeine. If you want decent information and any semblance of balance, look elsewhere.

Matters of Substance is the most insightful book I've ever read on drugs. Edwards never inflames, and never understates. He looks far and wide at many cultures and countries, and never lets popular myths or received attitudes dictate his opinions.

On cannabis, for instance, he stands resolutely against the libertarian stream and points out hypocrisy on the left between nicotine and cannabis attitudes. With cocaine, on the other hand, he lays much of the blame for the epidemic of the 1980s on the medical community, who over-prescribed the drug in powder form in the 50s, creating an environment ready for a designer drug.