On Drugs

By CBCSociety & Culture

On Drugs episodes

January 20, 2025 S3 EP3 Why do I keep smoking?
Despite decades of anti-smoking campaigns, nicotine addiction is still pervasive. Why do we keep lighting up when we know it’s bad for us? Producer Hadeel confronts her own romanticized view of cigarettes, even as the health risks loom large. Speaking with Dr. Lynn Kozlowski, this episode delves into the psychology and allure behind smoking, from personal habits to societal myths.
37 min
January 13, 2025 S3 E2 Did TV teach me to drink “like a man?”
Alcohol has been a fixture on our screens, shaping how we see and consume it. From the “bad boys” of Hollywood’s code era to the grit of film noir, have we learned to drink through the lens of our favorite characters? In this episode, Geoff unpacks these cultural cues with the hosts of Why Theory, tracing the coded messages in pop culture and his own subconscious. What have movies and TV taught us to believe about drinking — and about ourselves?

If you haven't already, listen to Episode 1 of Season 3, "Why Do I Keep Drinking?" here.
36 min
January 06, 2025 S3 E1 Why don’t I stop drinking?
Host Geoff Turner begins his most personal season yet by examining his own relationship with alcohol. In a time when sobriety is on the rise among younger generations, what changed? Through conversations with addiction researcher Dr. Catharine Fairbairn, this episode explores the factors behind the ways we drink, from social habits to self-reflection, and asks if the current cultural shift could lead us toward a more mindful future.

Please note, this episode contains references to suicide. Please take care when listening.

Resources

For more resources on getting help with substance use, please see: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/substance-use/get-help-with-substance-use.html

For a detailed list of Canadian resources, including province and territory-specific resources, see: cbc.ca/1.7432271

If you or someone you know is struggling, here's where to get help:

Canada's Suicide Crisis Helpline: Call or text 988.

Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868. Text 686868. Live chat counselling on https://kidshelpphone.ca/.

Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention: Find a 24-hour crisis centre at https://suicideprevention.ca/resources/

This guide from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health outlines how to talk about suicide with someone you're worried about: https://www.camh.ca/en/health-info/guides-and-publications/when-a-family-member-is-suicidal
40 min
December 16, 2024 Season 3 of On Drugs is coming!
On Drugs returns for a third season, and this time, it’s really personal. This season, we're challenging the typical narratives about addiction, exploring what substances reveal not only about our bodies but also our understanding of consciousness, our motivations, and our very sense of self. Host Geoff Turner confronts his own casual relationship with alcohol, using it as a lens to question the nature of desire, drive, and what we truly seek from life. Launching January 6, 2025.
2 min
September 08, 2021 Introducing: The Flamethrowers
The Flamethrowers captures the punch-you-in-the-mouth energy and sound of right-wing talk radio. Host Justin Ling takes us from the fringe preachers and conspiracy peddlers of the 1920s to the political firestorm that rages today. With humour and candour, Ling examines the appeal of broadcasters like Rush Limbaugh, who found a sleeping audience, radicalized it, and became an accidental kingmaker — culminating in the election of Donald Trump. More episodes are available at smarturl.it/theflamethrowers
5 min
September 08, 2020 Introducing: Recall: How to Start a Revolution
The 1950s & 60s saw a wave of radical movements. Che Guevara and the Cuban Revolution. The Black Panthers. Quebec and Canada had the FLQ — a showdown that dissolved into crisis. By October 1970, there were soldiers in the streets, communities on edge, kidnapping and terror in the headlines. But those frightening weeks were just the crescendo of a wave of terror and violence that was nearly a decade in the making. This series will reveal the stories of that time through immersive storytelling and the people who lived it: the bomb disposal expert on defusing live explosives, the survivors of terror, their families, and the radicals themselves. More episodes are available at http://hyperurl.co/recallcbc
33 min
June 21, 2018 Replay: Miltown: A forgotten pharma game changer
It's just one more week until the season two finale of On Drugs, but in the meantime, enjoy this favourite from last season. It's all about Miltown, a drug that is mostly forgotten today, but helped create modern psychopharmacology. We're proud to announce that this episode is nominated for Best Podcast at the 2018 Radio Television Digital News Association awards.
35 min
June 21, 2018 S2 E10 Prison, On Drugs
This episode goes behind bars to learn how Canadian prisons form a nexus of drug crime, trade and addiction. We'll meet people in prison because of crimes committed in the throes of addiction and learn about how prisoners cope with addiction in custody.
43 min
June 21, 2018 EXTRA: Bill Blair on implementing cannabis legalization
A feature interview with Bill Blair, the former Toronto Police Chief now in charge of implementing the federal government's cannabis legalization law. He reflects on the transition from drug law enforcement to legalization and regulation.
35 min
June 21, 2018 S2 E7 More cannabis in Colorado
Host Geoff Turner is back in Colorado for part two of his road trip to see what Canada can learn from four years of legal cannabis in the Rocky Mountain State.
58 min

About On Drugs

From the publisher's feed

On Drugs looks through the lenses of history, pop culture and personal experience to understand how drugs have shaped our world. Because even if it’s just caffeine or ibuprofen, there’s a good…