Rethinking drug use and addiction

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Source: Science Magazine

Original: https://www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1126/science.aec7911?af=R...

Published: 2026-01-08T07:00:05Z

The article introduces the book "What Would You Do Alone in a Cage with Nothing but Cocaine?", which challenges readers to rethink what addiction is, why people use drugs, and why some people quit and others don't.[5] The author of the book questions the simplistic image of drugs as substances that "automatically" cause addiction, and emphasizes the role of the environment, possibilities and living conditions of people.[5] The text points out that experiments with animals in isolated cages give a different picture of drug use than when animals have a richer and more stimulating environment.[5] The book offers a new framework for understanding drugs and addiction that focuses on social and contextual factors, not just the pharmacological effects of substances.[5] The article also points out that such a rethinking may have implications for how we design drug prevention, treatment and policy.[5] The authors of the article describe the book as accessible to a wide audience and based on scientific evidence from addiction research.[5]