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.
Last refreshed: ⓘ
Follow this podcast in the Metacast mobile app to refresh it and see new episodes.
Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more
Normally, therapy sessions are totally confidential — but this podcast opens the doors. In this season of Other People’s Problems, Dr. Hillary McBride explores the transformative power of psychedelics in a therapeutic setting. With her psychological expertise, Dr. Hillary leads her clients through drug-assisted therapy, guiding them to new heights on their healing journeys. Experience these real, unscripted sessions firsthand as they unfold in each episode. This season offers an unprecedented lo...
For our final episode of Season 3, we’re looking at the fight for access to hormone therapy — and what happens when the system fails. Historian Samantha Rosenthal traces the long history of medical gatekeeping, while Dr. Ted Jablonski breaks down the risks and realities of DIY transition. From prescriptions to homebrew, who gets to decide what care looks like?
With the rise of psychedelic therapy, questions arise about the ethics, effectiveness, and experiences it brings. In this episode, a visit to a psychedelic therapy clinic. Geoff also talks with Dr. Hillary McBride , host of Other People’s Problems, to explore how substances are reshaping mental health treatments – including her own experience. What might be possible when traditional therapy meets psychedelics? Listen to more episodes of Other People’s Problems here ....
Is vaping just as harmful as smoking, or a safer alternative? Following her attempt to quit cigarettes, Hadeel finds herself switching to a vape and wonders what dangers it holds. Geoff talks to Dr. Laura Crotty Alexander to understand the mixed messages around vaping, nicotine addiction, and the realities of "safer" choices. And check out our previous episode on smoking here ....
Ketamine is making headlines as a treatment for depression, but what exactly does it do? From its roots in anesthetic use to its reputation as a club drug, Geoff examines the science and history of ketamine with Dr. Bita Moghaddam . The episode also looks at its unique psychological effects, including the infamous “K-hole,” and how it’s being used today in groundbreaking therapies. Listen to Julian Uzielli’s documentary here: lnk.to/Loyxt1...
What happens to our consciousness when we're put under? This episode dives into the science and mystery of anesthesia, featuring insights from Kate Cole-Adams and Dr. George Mashour . From the physical processes to the philosophical questions, Geoff explores what happens in the in-between state, offering a glimpse into one of medicine’s most fascinating frontiers. Just a heads up, this episode contains graphic descriptions of surgery. Please take care when listening. Take a listen to Dr. George ...
Ozempic, originally a diabetes medication, has gained popularity as a weight loss drug—but at what cost? Geoff speaks with Johann Hari about the allure and stigma of taking “the easy way out” with weight loss drugs. This episode unpacks cultural attitudes toward obesity, the psychological effects of diet drugs, and whether these quick fixes might be shifting the way we understand health and body image.
In Vancouver’s East Hastings, the Safe Supply program challenges the conventional narrative that sobriety is the ultimate goal. Geoff visits the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users office to sit down with Garth Mullins , an advocate and organizer. This episode explores harm reduction, examining how drug addiction intersects with issues of poverty, shame, and community. Are programs like these changing lives? Why did they end? Did decriminalization really fail? Listen to Garth Mullin’s Crackdown...
Despite decades of anti-smoking campaigns, nicotine addiction is still pervasive. Why do we keep lighting up when we know it’s bad for us? Producer Hadeel confronts her own romanticized view of cigarettes, even as the health risks loom large. Speaking with Dr. Lynn Kozlowski , this episode delves into the psychology and allure behind smoking, from personal habits to societal myths....
Alcohol has been a fixture on our screens, shaping how we see and consume it. From the “bad boys” of Hollywood’s code era to the grit of film noir, have we learned to drink through the lens of our favorite characters? In this episode, Geoff unpacks these cultural cues with the hosts of Why Theory , tracing the coded messages in pop culture and his own subconscious. What have movies and TV taught us to believe about drinking — and about ourselves? If you haven't already, listen to Episode 1 of Se...
Host Geoff Turner begins his most personal season yet by examining his own relationship with alcohol. In a time when sobriety is on the rise among younger generations, what changed? Through conversations with addiction researcher Dr. Catharine Fairbairn , this episode explores the factors behind the ways we drink, from social habits to self-reflection, and asks if the current cultural shift could lead us toward a more mindful future. Please note, this episode contains references to suicide. Plea...
On Drugs returns for a third season, and this time, it’s really personal. This season, we're challenging the typical narratives about addiction, exploring what substances reveal not only about our bodies but also our understanding of consciousness, our motivations, and our very sense of self. Host Geoff Turner confronts his own casual relationship with alcohol, using it as a lens to question the nature of desire, drive, and what we truly seek from life. Launching January 6, 2025.
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/theflamethr...
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...
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
We're hard at work putting together the next new episode, but in the meantime, here's a favourite from last season. It's deep look at the intersection of music, drugs and creativity. Enjoy.
Host Geoff Turner is back in Colorado for part two of his road trip to see what Canada can learn from four years of legal cannabis in the Rocky Mountain State.
We're busy working on next week’s show, but I wanted to share another CBC Original Podcast I think you might like. It’s called Personal Best. I wouldn’t be doing it justice to call it a self improvement show, because it’s a lot more than that. In an episode called the Doppelganger, we meet Julia - she’s struggling to find a way to communicate her authentic self through texting and technology. It’s trippy and fun and it has all kinds of heart. Please give it a listen!
Cannabis will be legal and regulated across Canada later this year, but Colorado has a four year head start on ending prohibition. Host Geoff Turner travelled to the Rocky Mountain State to see how legalization looks, four years on.
Before pharmaceuticals find their way to your medicine chest, they are subjected to batteries of tests for safety and efficacy. Those tests begin with animals, but eventually scientists need to try out the drugs on people. In this episode, we explore the world of clinical drug trials, including host Geoff Turner's own experience as a human guinea pig.
In our episode on Utah, Mormonism and drugs, you met Dan Snarr, the former mayor of Murray Utah. He told us about losing his son to opioid overdose. Here's a full length version of Geoff's conversation with Dan.
There’s an expectation that members of the Church of Latter Day Saints will live with chastity and modesty in order to secure a place in heaven. And yet, Utah, the heart of Mormonism, has one of the highest overdose rates in the U-S. In this episode of On Drugs, we hit the road to investigate why.
People have been using caffeine in one form or another for thousands of years. And for more than a century, people have been fretting about what it does to our health and our moral condition. This episode dives into the history and significance of the most widely used psychoactive drug on earth.
This episode of "On Drugs" traces the complex history of cannabis in Canada, exploring its early, often ill-informed prohibition and the societal disconnect between public use and strict laws. The episode details the rise of counterculture, the impact of significant events like the Gastown Riot, and the persistent legal challenges mounted by lawyers and activists. Crucially, it highlights the pivotal role of figures like Hilary Black and the BC Compassion Club in legitimizing medical cannabis, ultimately leading to the government's path towards national legalization.
We launched season two of On Drugs with an episode about how people are using psychedelics in search of spiritual enlightenment. One of the people we met was Tanya Kammonen. Tanya and I spoke at length about her experience with psychedelics -- ayahuasca in particular -- and if you’ve listened to the episode already, you’ll have heard some of that conversation. But I thought you might be interested in hearing what didn’t make it to air. So here's a special extended version of my conversation with...
