From prescription medication to caffeine, alcohol, and illicit substances, psychologist and epidemiologist Dr. Suzi Gage looks at how drugs impact us, and how education can reduce the stigma around drug use.

We will all use drugs at some point, whether through our morning cup of coffee or prescription medication that keeps us well.

While recreational use of some addictive substances is entirely mainstream, others are classified as illegal or more risky in nature.

Knowing how these drugs work and the ways they impact users can help us understand their popularity while revealing the risks they pose.

Dr. Suzi Gage is a psychologist and epidemiologist exploring the link between recreational drug use and mental health. She also hosts the Say Why to Drugs podcast and released her book of the same name in 2021.

In the book, Gage takes a nonjudgmental approach to addictive substances, looking beyond stigma to the effects drugs have on the mind and body.