56 | New Scientist | 8 February 2020
The back pages Q&A
There is a lot of misinformation
and ignorance about drugs, says
psychologist Suzi Gage. She is out to
change that with a podcast and book
called Say Why to DrugsExplain your work in one easy paragraph.
I explore the relationship between recreational drug
use and mental health. It is surprisingly hard to
unpick what might cause what. We see more drug
use in people with poor mental health, but is this
because drugs increase the risk, or because people
with poor mental health are drawn to use drugs, or
that other factors affect the likelihood of both?How did you end up working in this field?
When I was studying psychology at University
College London, I took a module called “Drugs and
the Mind”. The practical involved us taking either
alcohol or nitrous oxide and doing a number of
cognitive and fine motor tasks. I was fascinated by
the course, and realised, maybe for the first time,
that different drugs can have very different effects.As a child, what did you want to be
when you grew up?
An astronaut. It was the mid ‘90s and
Helen Sharman was living my dream.Your book debunks myths about drugs.
Why did you decide to write it?
Loads of us hold misconceptions about drugs,
including legal ones like alcohol. I made a podcast
exploring these, and the science around drugs more
generally, and it really took off. The book explores
what we know, and what we don’t, about the drugs
in our lives and in our societies.What are the most common misconceptions
about drugs?
One is that you only need to use a drug like heroin
once to become addicted to it. Another is that legal
drugs are less harmful. While it is true that there are
additional risks when a substance is illicit, such as
dosing, drugs like alcohol and tobacco are most
certainly not without harm. Quite the opposite.“ One of the
most common
misconceptions
is that you only
need to take a
drug like heroin
once to become
addicted”
PORTRAIT: JIM MORAYWhat’s the most exciting thing you’re working
on right now?
I’m really excited about a current project using
two groups of young people born 10 years apart to
explore changing patterns in lifestyle behaviours
and mental health in UK teenagers. Depression is on
the rise in UK teens. We’re trying to understand why,
and hopefully do more to support young people.How has your field of study changed in the
time you have been working in it?
The national, and global, conversation about drugs
is changing. We are seeing cannabis decriminalised
in lots of places and it feels like the public perception
of drugs has become a bit more nuanced.Were you good at science at school?
Yes, but if anything, it was A level English literature
that helped the most for a degree in psychology.What is the best piece of advice anyone
ever gave you?
God damn it, you’ve got to be kind.What’s the best thing you’ve read or seen
in the past 12 months?
Hannah Fry’s Hello World, about algorithms, and
Luke Turner’s memoir Out of the Woods, exploring
sexuality and Epping Forest, among other things.Do you have an unexpected hobby, and if so,
please will you tell us about it?
I play synths and have been in a number of bands,
including a covers band that played the music of
Goblin, a 1970s Italian horror soundtrack band.If you could have a conversation with any
scientist, living or dead, who would it be?
Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman to get a medical
degree in the US. She did so after a female friend said
she might have suffered less with a recent illness if a
female physician had treated her.What scientific development do you hope
to see in your lifetime?
A better understanding and treatment for dementia.How useful will your skills be after the
apocalypse?
I can knit, and I am quite good at growing vegetables.OK, one last thing: tell us something that will
blow our minds...
The drug ketamine really is a horse tranquilliser,
but it is also particularly useful in camel surgery. ❚Suzi Gage is a psychologist and epidemiologist at the
University of Liverpool, UK. Her book Say Why to Drugs
is out now (Hodder and Stoughton) @soozaphone