We begin this show with former UK Government Chief Drugs advisor, Professor David Nutt whose evidence shows that scientific considerations are of minor interest to the politicians. He explains how his evidence-based scientific approach to drug safety was at odds with that of the politicians whom he was supposed to be advising. Facile as it may sound, his boss flatly refused to countenance comparing the safety of legal activities with the consumption of illegal dugs - whilst simultaneously insisting that these same drugs had to be illegal due to their (apparently presumed) dangers.
We conclude the show with most of the first half hour of a 2012 lecture by Professor John Cawley entitled "Reefer Madness, Frank the Tank or Pretty Woman: To what extent do addictive behaviors respond to incentives?". Focussing on drug addiction in particular, he examines the evidence for different models of how addiction affects peoples choices. How concerned should we be about addictive behaviour? The talk introduces three models of addiction: 1. Reefer Madness (Insatiable, irrational appetites) 2. Pretty Woman (Completely rational addiction) 3. Frank the Tank (More or less sophisticted )