Future of Psychoactive Drugs in the Time of Cutting-Edge Technologies

What is it about?

Humans have consumed psychoactive substances for millennia, and these substances have played an important role in human culture and human work. The development of new drugs and research into the nature and treatment of addictions are only the most obvious areas of innovation that could transform the field. Others include real-time data collection using the Internet, cell phones, and microchip monitoring, as well as analytics and telemetry technology to record environmental stimuli, drug use, cognitive performance, physiological state, and behavior. Future research on policy issues such as the effectiveness of different ways to control addictive drugs and behaviors to reduce harms and maximize benefits will continue to be needed.

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Photo by the blowup on Unsplash

Photo by the blowup on Unsplash

Why is it important?

We are sure that the issues encapsulated here will still be important in 20 years, for several reasons.One is that for thousands of years, individuals have used some form of mind-altering chemicals, ranging from comparatively harmless substances, like coffee, teethers with substantial scope for harm and abuse. Repeated use, addiction, and other injuries have,similarly, been with us for a long time, but we are only now understanding the neural basis of this vulnerability. While the use of some of today's psychoactive substances, such as tobacco, is stabilizing or declining, the use of others is rising.The number of older citizens in the U.K. and elsewhere in the developed world is increasing. This may lead to a demand for treatments to address cognitive impairment, allowing older people to function effectively for longer.