Episode #1250
Johann Hari
Books mentioned
Chasing the Scream
Mentioned by Johann Hari · at 00:13:16
Amazon (opens in a new tab; affiliate link) Source: Transcript (podscripts.co)
Lost Connections
Mentioned by Johann Hari · at 00:23:54
Amazon (opens in a new tab; affiliate link) Source: Official episode description (podcast RSS) · Transcript (podscripts.co)
Timestamps are segment start times from the podscripts.co transcript of the audio release (includes ad reads), so they may differ from the video by a few minutes.
Johann Hari is a writer and journalist whose work examines addiction, depression, and the social conditions shaping mental health. He discusses the history and harms of punitive drug policies, compares Swiss and Portuguese approaches with U.S. Prohibition, and explores connection, meaning, work, social media, and biological factors in addiction and despair.
What they talked about
- Joe Arpaio's chain gang for drug addicts
- Rat Park experiment and the role of social connection
- Vietnam War heroin use and post-war recovery
- Nicotine patches and limited success of chemical hook approach
- Swiss safe injection rooms and Portugal's drug policy
- Harry Anslinger's racist war on drugs and Billie Holiday
- Zetas' child soldiers and drug war violence in Mexico
- Bud Osborn and Vancouver's safe injection site movement
Data last updated · Report a mistake · How it works: mentions are pulled from public transcripts and episode descriptions, partly with AI-assisted extraction, so details and timestamps can be off.