A key theme in my latest book, Pills, Powder and Smoke: Inside the Bloody War on Drugs, is the absurdity of governments continuing to push futile drug war policies. This week I was interviewed by the UK Telegraph about a new British policy that aims to punish drug users with the threat of losing their…
Showing all posts tagged war on drugs
Slovakian edition arrives for Pills, Powder and Smoke
I’m excited to reveal the Slovakian translation/amazing cover art of my drug war book, Pills, Powder and Smoke: Inside the Bloody War on Drugs. The foreword is written by Martin Poliacik, a philosopher and former politician who’s been a leading advocate for drug reform. I’ve just read his words, thanks (imperfect) Google Translate, and it’s…
End the drug war and improve the climate
NGOs Health Poverty Action and LEAP UK are working with students at Queen Mary University in London to highlight the absurdity of the drug war and why it should end. I was interviewed last week, the project is called SEEDS for Change, and I talk about the links between the war on drugs and climate…
Investigating the War on Drugs: recommendations for the future
Here’s my keynote lecture at the 2021 Australian & New Zealand Addiction Conference on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. I spoke around my 2019 book, “Pills, Powder and Smoke: Inside the Bloody War on Drugs“. The Australian & New Zealand Addiction Conference was hosted by the Australian & New Zealand Mental Health Association, a non-government,…
Ubud Writer’s Festival event on Pills, Powder and Smoke
I was invited to this year’s Ubud Writer’s Festival in Bali, Indonesia, one of the best literary festivals in the world. I attended twice more than a decade ago (and had extraordinary experiences in the Muslim-majority province, Aceh). This year, now run online, is a session about my drug war book, Pills, Powder and Smoke: Inside the Bloody War on Drugs, in conversation with…
Crime Spot podcast on the drug war
Austrian-based podcast, Crime Spot, “picks up on current events and looks behind the scenes to better understand the role played by organized crime in shaping modern events and crises.” I was recently interviewed about my latest book, Pills, Powder and Smoke: Inside the Bloody War on Drugs.
The false allure of El Chapo’s capture
My book review appeared in last weekend’s Australian newspaper: El Jefe: The Stalking of Chapo Guzman By Alan Feuer Simon and Schuster, 256pp, $32.99 On the day in February 2019 that the world’s most notorious drug cartel boss, Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, was found guilty in a Brooklyn courtroom, the prosecution was ecstatic. Richard P.…
Sydney Writer’s Festival interview on Pills, Powder and Smoke
This year’s Sydney Writer’s Festival was cancelled due to Covid-19 so it’s now gone online. I’ve been interviewed about my recent book, Pills, Powder and Smoke: Inside the Bloody War on Drugs, by criminologist Dr George (Kev) Dertadian. My other writer’s festival event this year is a conversation about the rise of far-right fascism.
The dark underbelly of Newcastle, Britain
In my recent book, Pills, Powder and Smoke: Inside the Bloody War on Drugs, I spend time across the UK, including the city of Newcastle, documenting the often brutal ways that the state mishandles drug users and addiction. The UK Sun newspaper commissioned me recently to write about my experiences in Newcastle. It’s not a…