Legal Drugs: Still Addictive, Still Deadly

The vast majority of drug addicts are not criminals; tobacco and alcohol, both perfectly legal in most societies, are used and abused in staggering abundance. This program details the ways smoking and drinking chemically take hold of the brain. Explaining the many reasons—besides nicotine—for tobacco's stealthy effects, the program describes the existence of thousands of other addictive chemicals in the plant. It also studies properties in alcohol, which some scientists have nicknamed the "dirty drug," that short-circuit the brain and cause considerable damage. Research by Philip Gorwood, Alain Ehrenberg, Martine Cador, Philippe Batel, and Michel Hamon is documented. (51 minutes