A review by lunarkora
Drug Use for Grown-Ups: Chasing Liberty in the Land of Fear by Carl L. Hart

3.0

As someone who has spent time working in the Substance treatment field I had to sit and think about the ideas in the book. The author has plenty of valid takes, mostly about how we treat those who use drugs but I also think he has a bias due to his own drug use. I agree that if there are good treatment solutions for patients using specific illegal drugs then with the oversight of a professional I believe we should look more into that. But I do not think we can trust an individual to safety and responsibly use drugs without oversight by a mental health professional or medical professional because even if a small minority will not be able to not suffer addiction is enough that any drug legalization needs to come with regulations. I’m glad he’s managed to control and still keep up responsibilities but it makes me wonder if that would still be the case after a life changing event like series medical it loss of his job. But that’s what if scenarios. This book will make sure I look at studies a little more closely to compare the results and the conclusion statements. But at the end of the day I have seen what addiction has done to people and the difficulties they face due to this fight and much of my advocacy will be for those clients, fighting to get them seen as a human by our justice systems and law enforcement. I do think this book is an important read for those who work among addiction and drug related fields. But keep an open mind and find the balance between both sides of this argument. I am neither pro or con drugs, but I want people to learn how to be happy and healthy in the best way, using the most up to date knowledge from good studies.