Media + Culture

For Decades, Tattoos Helped Me Make Sense of Death and Prison

I got my first tattoo at 15, a Grim Reaper profile with the scythe arcing over its head. My father…

November 17, 2023

SAMHSA’s National Drug Use Survey Has a Fentanyl Problem

Up through 2021, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) national drug use survey didn't include illicit fentanyl.…

November 16, 2023

Not Everyone Chooses the “Sober Dating” Life. Some of Us Are on Parole.

Many people who are in recovery have noted that the culture of modern dating isn’t the most suited to them.…

November 3, 2023

Watch: “Utter Rubbish”—Powerhouse Vape Activist Demands Voice

Judy Gibson is a pistol—one of the fiercest, most unapologetic tobacco harm reduction advocates you’ll ever meet. I interviewed her…

October 31, 2023

Fentanyl Isn’t Being Cut Into the Cocaine Supply. Here’s Why.

Over the course of my 28 years in prison, I've known a lot of people who sold drugs. I sold…

October 31, 2023

It’s Fentanyl Misinformation Season. Please Consume Media Responsibly.

Every year, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) gets a few more allies in its bid to turn October into National…

October 30, 2023

If I Join a Church After Prison, How Much of My Past Is Safe to Disclose?

Last Sunday, I tried to work up the courage to go to church. I did some Googling of the churches…

October 25, 2023

One Weird Trick Reporters Can Use to Make Fentanyl Stories Less Bad

Media coverage of fentanyl is beyond a quick fix, but I still think this one would improve it. Journalists often…

October 24, 2023

Meth Was the Routine in Our Biker Club. Psychedelics Were the Escapes.

I was a fan of psychedelics long before I got ahold of any. Such exotic drugs as LSD were not…

October 23, 2023

Parents for Vapes? Why Some Are Buying Them for Their Teens

Outcry over youth vaping continues to drive headlines and policies around the world, fueled in part by parents who have…

October 20, 2023