On this episode Narcotica highlights a new project from the Health in Justice Action Lab at Northeastern University called Changing The Narrative, which aims to correct flawed narratives about drugs, debunked myths, old tropes, and stigmatizing language in mainstream media.
In the ’80s, a rampant fear of “crack babies” permeated the mainstream media. But the claims of kids deformed due to crack cocaine turned out to be bullshit. Troy Farah reports on how this urban legend originated, and how it’s morphed into another false narrative: the addicted baby myth. Plus, we examine why pregnant drug users face so much greater stigma than others. We speak with Dr. Carl Hart, a neuroscientist and the Chair of the Department of Psychology at Columbia University, as well as Cherisse Scott, founder of Sister Reach, which fights for reproductive justice.
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Actual headlines from the crack epidemic: “Crack Babies Born to Life of Suffering,” “Crack’s Toll Among Babies: A Joyless View, Even of Toys,” “Crack’s Tiniest, Costliest Victims,” “A Time Bomb in Cocaine Babies,” “Disaster In Making: Crack Babies Start to Grow Up." pic.twitter.com/3iyFOMvaKR
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