Say Why To Drugs
by Suzi Gage
The internet is full of misinformation about recreational drugs - both legal and illegal. Dr Suzi Gage, a psychologist interested in understanding associations between substance use and mental health, tackles one substance per episode - providing information about what we know - the harms, but also potential benefits of these substances. There's no hype, no spin and no judgement, just information. In the first series, she is in conversation with rapper Scroobius Pip.
Episodes
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Talking with your family about drugs - Live at Latitude 2021
A live episode! In front of a lovely crowd at the awesome Latitude Festival, back in July 2021. Suzi Gage headed to Suffolk and was joined by previous SWTD guest Fiona Spargo-Mabbs. Their discussion covered all aspects of how to talk with your family about drugs - what age should discussions...
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Spiking - with Dr Lata Gautam
There have been many reports about drink spiking in recent weeks and months. Suzi is joined by Dr Lata Gautam from Anglia Ruskin University to talk about what we mean by drink spiking, what substances are thought to be used, and what a person might experience if their drink is spiked. Lata also...
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Maternal Drinking
Say Why to Drugs is back, as Suzi emerges bleary eyed from the first year of being a mum, what better time to talk about alcohol use and motherhood? Well, it's even better than that as it's Baby Week AND alcohol awareness week from 15th November. Suzi is joined by Abi Rose and Leila Goodman to…
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Drugs and Sex - recorded live at Vault Festival
A live episode recorded earlier in the year in London at Vault Festival, in association with Child.org. Suzi speaks to Alex Aldridge. Alex is a Phd student at Royal Holloway, researching sex, drugs and sexual ethics. The conversation touches on various aspects around drug use during or around…
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Drug regulation - with Transform
In this episode Suzi talks to James Nicholls, the CEO of an organisation called Transform, who are a think-tank working in drug policy reform. The conversation covers what is meant by various different types of drug policy, from regulation to decriminalisation to legalisation, as well as…
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Alcohol in pregnancy
We're back (briefly)!! In the first episode of a new little run, Suzi speaks to epidemiologists Dr Kate Fleming and Dr Luisa Zuccolo about what we know about the evidence around the risks of drinking alcohol during pregnancy. How do they compare to other things women are advised against doing…
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The Secret Drug Addict
In this episode Suzi speaks to the Secret Drug Addict - a twitter and instagram user who VICE called 'twitter's most helpful anonymous account'. SDA is incredibly open in this conversation, talking about when he first started using drugs, how they impacted on his life, relationships and work, and...
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Drug Education - with The DSM Foundation
In this episode Dr Suzi Gage is joined by Fiona Spargo-Mabbs and Sarah Birkett from the DSM Foundation. Fiona and her husband set up the foundation after their son Dan died after taking MDMA. Fiona talks a bit about this, but you can read more on the DSM Foundation's website here...
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Say Why To Drugs Book Launch
This episode was recorded live at the Say Why to Drugs book launch at Foyles bookshop, in Bristol, on 24th January 2020. Suzi is in conversation with James Nicholls, the CEO of Transform. Some links: My website (for news and events info): https://suzigage.co.uk/events-and-talks/ Amazon link to…
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Say Why To Drugs - The Book!
Happy book-day to me! Happy book-day to me! Happy birthday to Say Why To Drugs the booook, Happy book-day to me! Luckily for you I decided against singing that in the intro to this episode, but I'm VERY excited to say that today is the day that Say Why to Drugs the book launches in the UK, and...
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Drugs and Music, live at Smithdown Road festival
Recorded earlier this year at Smithdown Road Festival, a free music festival in South Liverpool, this episode sees Suzi chat to a panel of guests about the links between drug use and music. Dr Sally Adams joins the podcast again, Professor Harry Sumnall from Liverpool John Moores University…
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Drugs and Music, with Adam Ficek
Adam Ficek is probably best known as the drummer in Pete Docherty's post-Libertines band Babyshambles. But as well as a very successful music career, he's also a trained psychotherapist, and about to embark on a PhD. Adam and Suzi have a wide-ranging discussion in this episode of Say Why to…
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CBD, with Dr Amir Englund
Cannabidiol, or CBD, is a compound found in cannabis. In recent times it's began to be found on our high streets, available in everything from coffee to ice-cream to vape liquid. It's also been touted as a medication to treat a variety of health ailments, from childhood epilepsy to insomnia. In...
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Kratom, with Dr Oliver Grundmann
Suzi Gage is joined by researcher Dr Oliver Grundmann, from the University of Florida, to talk about kratom - a leaf from the plant Mitragyna speciosa that grows in SE Asia. Is it an opioid? Or could it be useful in harm reduction? And what do we currently know about it? Find out within.
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Mescaline, with Mike Jay
Say Why to Drugs returns! In this episode Suzi chats to author Mike Jay about mescaline, arguably the first psychedelic.Jay details the dual history of the substance - found in two types of cacti in central and south America, as well as being extracted and used in psychiatry in the USA and…
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Ask me anything! #2
Researcher Suzi Gage answers a second set of questions that listeners have sent in - topics covered range from discussion of legislation - and how scientists can get involved, favourite research findings (and over-egged ones), and expectation effects.
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Ask me anything! #1
Researcher Suzi Gage answers questions that listeners have sent in - topics covered range from whether the podcasts are aimed at teenagers to whether legislation impacts on the ability for scientists to carry out research in to illicit drugs, and from psychedelic therapy to the mushroom Fly Agaric.
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E-Cigarettes - UPDATED, with Professor Linda Bauld
Suzi chats to Professor Linda Bauld from the University of Edinburgh about e-cigarettes and vaping. Linda provides an update on what's changed in the last 2 years since the first E-Cigarettes episode - in terms of who's using them, whether they are helping in smoking quit attempts, and what some…
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Women and addiction, with Jenny Valentish
Dr Suzi Gage chats to journalist and author Jenny Valentish about her book Woman of Substances. The conversation covers Jenny's own experiences, and how she tackled the scientific literature while researching her book.
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How do drugs affect the brain? LIVE with Dr Carl Roberts
After quite a hiatus, SWTD returns. This live episode was recorded in front of an audience of University of Liverpool Psychology students. Suzi is joined by Dr Carl Roberts to discuss all things about how drugs affect the brain, and how we as researchers investigate this.
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Dry January
Suzi Gage speaks to her colleague Professor Matt Field about the phenomenon of Dry January, where people give up alcohol for a month. They talk about whether there may be short- or long-term health benefits around it, and discuss their personal experiences of taking part (or not).
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Psychedelics at the SSA. Part 3 - Prof. Celia Morgan
Here's the third and final installment of interviews recorded at the Society for the Study of Addiction conference in Newcastle earlier this year. In this episode I interview Professor Celia Morgan from Exeter University. We talk about Celia's work investigating the use of ketamine within therapy...
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Psychedelics at the SSA. Part 2 - Dr. Albert Garcia-Romeu
The second of three podcasts recorded at the Society of the Study of Addiction conference, all on the theme of psychedelic medicine. In this episode Suzi speaks to Dr Albert Garcia-Romeu of Johns Hopkins University about his work using psilocybin, from magic mushrooms, in therapies for substance...
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Cognitive Enhancers
In this bonus episode Suzi is joined by Dr Carl Roberts, a psychopharmacologist from the University of Liverpool, to chat about cognitive enhancers. Who's using them? Do they work? What do we know about them?
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Sugar
Dr Suzi Gage is joined by Dr Charlotte Hardman from the University of Liverpool - an expert on nutrition, to talk about sugar. Is it a drug? It's essential to life but do we eat too much of it?
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Addiction
Welcome back to Say Why to Drugs! In this special episode Suzi speaks to Professor Sir John Strang, head of the Addictions group at Kings College London, about the concept of addiction.
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Prescription Opioids
Dr Suzi Gage and Scroobius Pip discuss prescription opioid pain medication, its potential for abuse, and why this might differ between countries.
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DMT
Dr Suzi Gage and Scroobius Pip chat about DMT - a psychedelic that has been used ritualistically for hundreds of years, which has a mystical and intriguing reputation.
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PCP
Scroobius Pip talks with Dr Suzi Gage about PCP - a drug that has in the past had a lot of media attention due to its purported extreme effects. But what's the evidence?
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Salvia
Suzi Gage and Scroobius Pip talk about salvia, and unusual dissociative psychedelic that has short lasting but quite extreme psychedelic effects.
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Benzodiazepines
Dr Suzi Gage and Scroobius Pip chat about a group of synthetic medications called benzodiazepines.
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Hangovers
A special episode of Say Why to Drugs, where Dr Suzi Gage talks to hangover researcher Dr Sally Adams from the University of Bath about why we feel so wretched the day after a heavy drinking session, and what it's like to try and research in this area.
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E-Cigarettes
Dr Suzi Gage and Scroobius Pip chat about e-cigarettes - the scientific evidence around them, and why it might be that they've been so divisive in the academic community. For further reading listen via the Acast app where links will pop up at relevant moments!
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Khat
After a short festive (and moving house) break, Say Why to Drugs is back. Suzi and Scroobius Pip chat about khat, a leaf that's chewed to give a mild stimulant effect
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Poppers
Suzi Gage and Scroobius Pip discuss poppers, also known as alkyl nitrites, in this episode. And Suzi explains why it's a week late (sorry!)
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Amphetamines
Scroobius PIp and Dr Suzi Gage discuss amphetamines, their harms and potential benefits, and the myths surrounding them.
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Heroin
Dr Suzi Gage and Scroobius Pip discuss heroin and the evidence surrounding its effects in this episode of Say Why to Drugs
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Caffeine
Episode 11 is a return to the usual format. Scroobius Pip and Dr Suzi Gage sit down and chat caffeine. As well as this, Suzi has some exciting news in the intro.
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Bristol Drugs Project
A bonus episode where Dr Suzi Gage meets with Lydia Davenport and Professor Graeme Henderson, who are involved with Bristol Drugs Project.
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Synthetic Cathinones
Scroobius Pip and Suzi discuss drugs including mephedrone - formerly known as legal highs, these fall under the category of synthetic cathinones.
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Synthetic Cannabinoids
Dr Suzi Gage and Scroobius Pip chat about synthetic cannabinoids - substances such as Spice, in this episode.
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Nitrous Oxide
Suzi and Scroobius Pip chat about nitrous oxide, otherwise known as laughing gas, or hippy crack.
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Cocaine
Suzi and Scroobius Pip talk about cocaine in this episode - a substance that can be taken in a number of different forms, and has quite different effects depending how its consumed.
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Psychedelics
Dr Suzi Gage and Scroobius Pip discuss psychedelics, including LSD, magic mushrooms and DMT. The risks of taking them, but also potential medical benefits currently being investigated. As well as discussing myths surrounding psychedelics.
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Ketamine
In episode 5, Dr Suzi Gage and Scroobius Pip chat about ketamine. It can be harmful if used frequently, but it's also an extremely useful medication, used all over the world.
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MDMA
In this episode Scroobius Pip and I talk about Ecstasy or MDMA. We talk about the risks, the myths, and some really cool research in to some potential benefits.
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Alcohol
Dr Suzi Gage and Scroobius Pip discuss booze on this episode, the drug of choice in the UK and elsewhere. Although its legal, and often barely considered as a drug, it's by no means a safe substance.
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Tobacco
In episode two of Say Why to Drugs, Suzi and Scroobius Pip chat about tobacco - the effects of it, what harms there are from using it, whether it might have any benefits, and whether many of the myths surrounding it are based in evidence.
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cannabis
In the first episode of Say Why to Drugs, Suzi and Scroobius Pip chat about cannabis - the effects of it, what harms there might be from using it, whether it might have any benefits, and whether many of the myths surrounding it are based in evidence.
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Trailer
Say Why to Drugs launches this Thursday 19th May. It's a series of podcasts where Dr Suzi Gage discusses the harms of different recreational drugs, but also whether they might have potential medical benefits, as well as busting myths that surround these substances. The first episode launches on...
About this show
The internet is full of misinformation about recreational drugs - both legal and illegal. Dr Suzi Gage, a psychologist interested in understanding associations between substance use and mental health, tackles one substance per episode - providing information about what we know - the harms, but also potential benefits of these substances. There's no hype, no spin and no judgement, just information. In the first series, she is in conversation with rapper Scroobius Pip.
Hosted by
Suzi Gage