Jacob Sullum in Forbes: The Surprising Truth About Meth

Alberto Gonzales, George W. Bush’s attorney
general, called it “the most dangerous drug in America.”
A physician quoted by The New York
Times described it as “the most malignant, addictive drug
known to mankind.” A police
captain told the Times it “makes crack
look like child’s play, both in terms of what it does to the body
and how hard it is to get off.”

Meanwhile, doctors routinely prescribe this drug and others very
similar to it for conditions such as narcolepsy, obesity, and
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). If these drugs are
as dangerous as Gonzales et al. claim, how can millions of
Americans—including schoolchildren—safely consume them on a
regular basis?

Columbia neuropsychopharmacologist Carl Hart explores that
puzzle in a new report that aims to separate fact from fiction
on the subject of methamphetamine.

Read the article.