Drugs and the Brain: Recreation or Therapy?

With the number of drug-related offences on the rise this year, how do we best tackle the nations drug problems? Should we be questioning how we deal with illegal drugs?

There is debate over the use of cannabis for multiple sclerosis patients. But even Ritalin, the most commonly prescribed drug for children with ADHD, is an amphetamine-like class B narcotic. Both drugs have a long history of medicinal use and abuse.

How do these drugs work on our brain? How do people become addicted to them? Are they as dangerous as we are led to believe? Join our panel and discuss how drugs affect your brain and society.

Speakers:

Mike Hough, Director, Institute for Criminal Policy Research

Mike Jay, author and Chair of Transform

Ian Stolerman, Behavioural Pharmacologist, Institute of Psychiatry

Facilitator: Timandra Harkness, freelance science writer

This event is one of a series exploring the future of brain research to coincide with the Meeting of Minds, European Citizens' Deliberation and is funded by the Wellcome Trust.

Other events to be webcast in November

19.00-20.30 10/11/05 - Drugs and the Brain: Pills to make you normal

You can browse the webcast archive to see and hear some of the discussions that have taken place here in the past months.