vice

Episode 96: The Schism of Addiction and Vice with Elizabeth Roberts

July 7, 2026 Narcotica Addiction, Episodes, Harm Reduction 1:06:39 0 Comments

Not everyone views addiction in chiefly negative terms, which isn’t all too surprising to anyone with a little world experience, but it sometimes still feels shocking because of how dominant the mainstream narrative that dependency (on certain drugs) is automatically a moral failing or represents a physical or mental shortcoming. It doesn’t have to be framed this way — and arguably, the overwhelming negative focus is part of the problem. But where do we start when we explore the division between addiction and vice?

Narcotica co-hosts Aaron Ferguson and Troy Farah speak with Elizabeth Roberts, a professor of anthropology at the University of Michigan, who since 2013, she has participated in collaborative environmental health research in Mexico City, which has been a catalyst for her questioning a lot of dogma about addiction in different societies. In many places, Roberts finds in her latest book, “In Praise of Addiction,” the real negative harms don’t come from drugs but isolation and harmful systems like mass incarceration that divide communities. By reframing the question, we can start building a society that doesn’t shame or stigmatize people for arbitrary behaviors.

Roberts’ latest book “In Praise of Addiction: Or How We Can Learn To Love Dependency in a Damaged World,” is available from Princeton University Press.

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If you liked this episode, here are others you might enjoy:
Episode 81: Harm Reduction Against the Prison-Industrial Complex
Episode 66: Overlooking Alcohol and The Nature of Addiction with Dr. Stanton Peele
Episode 83: The Parents Who Oppose The War on Drugs with Tamara Olt and Gretchen Bergman

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Producers: Troy Farah, Aaron Ferguson
Music: Glass Boy / Nomad1 / Algorithms by Chad Crouch
Intro voice: Jenny Schaye
Image: StockSnap / Pixabay

Episode 37: Covering Culture and Drugs with Substance with Kate Knibbs

February 19, 2020 Narcotica Episodes 1:07:48 0 Comments

It’s difficult to write about drugs without being steeped and schooled in the discourse. Cultural tropes and conventional wisdom dominates the space. Drugs are anthropomorphized as the enemy. People who use drugs are described as manipulative and selfish, unless, of course, they’re “clean.” Often there is little empirical research cited and the same old voices are quoted saying the same old thing. Writers may think they’re being empathetic when really they’re reinforcing stigma, criminalization, and the very narratives that propel dangerous policy in the first place. 

At Narcotica, we look out for people who do things differently and like to hear them out. For this episode, co-host Zachary Siegel sits down with culture writer and journalist Kate Knibbs, whose writing about drugs and harm reduction stands out as uniquely humanizing. Approaching drugs and harm reduction from culture angles, Kate’s work tells us about the way live now. Their conversation focuses on two stories Kate wrote while working at The Ringer. First, the bizarre story of a music blogger at Vice who was caught smuggling a lot of cocaine. Then, they shift gears and discuss a piece about supervised consumption sites. Kate and Zach both get deep, and talk about the aftermath of friends and loved ones who overdose, and the impulse to search for accountability and punish people.
Follow Kate Knibbs on Twitter and look out for her work at WIRED, where she’s now a staff writer. 

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Producers: Christopher Moraff, Troy Farah, Zachary Siegel 
Co-producer: Garrett Farah
Music: Glass Boy / Garrett Farah
Photo: Nick YoungsonCC BY-SA 3.0Alpha Stock Images Edit Troy Farah