Johann Hari's Blog

On page 19 of Chasing The Scream, I write, about Billie Holiday: “Billie brought herself up on the streets of Baltimore, alone, defiant. It was the last city without a sewer system in the United States, and she spent her childhood among clouds of stinking smoke from all the burning shit.”

I have been contacted by a reader called Debrah Sambuco explaining that the second sentence there can’t be right. She wrote: “I am writing to tell you of an error in your otherwise very good and interesting book Chasing the Scream… The sewer system in Baltimore was built before Billie Holiday was born. She never lived in the city before it had a sewer system. Baltimore’s sewer system was begun after the Great Fire of 1904. By 1915, when Billie Holiday was born, it was already very extensive and nearing completion. Here is a pdf of a history of Baltimore’s sewer system from Waterfront.com: http://baltimorewaterfront.com/wp-con...

I also checked the … Read more

Captain Paul Vandenbos has emailed to point out an error on page 86. I refer to somebody being a ‘Lieutenant Colonel’ in the US Navy, which is in fact a rank in the US Army; the correct description of this position in the Navy is ‘Commander.’ Thanks to Captain Vandenbos for pointing this out – it will be corrected in future editions of the book.… Read more

On page 183 of Chasing The Scream, I write:

“ It would be absurd to say the chemicals play no role at all in, say, cigarette or crack addiction. So how much really is due to the chemicals, and how much is due to the social factors? What’s the ratio?

As I read more, I stumbled across—in the work of an amazing scientist called Richard DeGrandpre—an experiment that gives us a quite precise answer, in percentage terms. You may well be taking part in it right now.

When nicotine patches where invented in the early 1990s, public health officials were thrilled. They believed in the theory of addiction that almost everyone believes in: addiction is caused by chemical hooks that are hidden in the drug. You use a drug for a while, and your body starts to crave and need the chemical in a physical way. This isn’t hard to grasp. Anybody who has tried to quit caffeine knows that … Read more

I was asked by a few people on the book’s Facebook page to respond to an article on the excellent addiction and recovery website ‘The Fix’ that was entitled ‘Four Things Hari Gets Wrong,’ by an activist called Andrew Dobbs.

I’m happy to correct any mistakes in the book or anything I said – on this site I’ve corrected over twenty errors, and thanked the people who pointed them out in the latest edition of the book. In this case, after looking into this carefully, I could find no factual errors that were pointed out. There are some philosophical disagreements, which I’m happy to engage with, and to clarify my position here, so others can make up their own minds.

First of all I’d like to congratulate Andrew Dobbs on his recovery, and engage in the limited disagreements I have with him in a tone of love and compassion. We are on the same side in seeking to end the … Read more

A few more corrections have come through from readers:

On page 121, explaining the origins of the Mexican drug cartel the Zetas, I wrote: “It would be as if the Navy Seals defected from the U.S. Army to help the Crips take over Los Angeles— and succeeded.” Michael Amygdalidis emailed to point out that the Navy Seals aren’t part of the US Army – they’re part of the US Navy, so the sentence doesn’t make much sense. In future, it will say “defected from the US military.” Thanks to Michael for pointing this out.

On page 277, I refer to the city of Waunakee, where Tonya Winchester worked. She in fact worked in the city of Wenatchee. Thanks to Vito Perillo and Geoff Ashworth for pointing this out.

And although nobody has mentioned them, I also want to correct two small mistakes I realized I made in a few interviews in Australia.

I discussed the evidence that 85 percent of … Read more

You can buy it here. The French, German and Swedish editions will become available over the next six months.… Read more

… Read more

My TED talk on this subject is now online.… Read more

I’m speaking in a range of places this year.

In late August I’m speaking at the Edinburgh International Book Festival in Scotland.

In early September I’m speaking at the Festival of Dangerous Ideas in the Sydney Opera House (I’ll be introduced on stage by Naomi Klein), at the Brisbane Writers’ Festival, and then at two events in Melbourne (the details are just being finalized: check back here for details).

In mid-September I’ll be speaking in Mexico City at the Mexican launch of the book.

In October, I’m speaking in Spokane, Washington.

In November, I’m speaking at the Addaction conference in Manchester, England, and then in Denmark. I’ll post details for the rest once they’re up.

Come along!… Read more

A few more corrections have been brought to my attention.

Jonas van Hoffmann emailed to point out two mistakes. On page 259, it says President Mujica of Uruguay was elected in 2005. This is a typo: he was elected in 2009. On page 273, I discuss how representatives of the British drug reform group Transform went to Uruguay to advise President Mujica. It should be phrased to make it clear that the representatives who went were Steve Rolles and Lisa Sanchez; Danny Kushlick offered ideas and strategic advice from Britain but did not go to Uruguay.

Erin Flanigan emailed to point out that on page 110, I refer to Sheriff Joe Arpaio as having a “shining yellow lawmaker’s badge”. It should say a “shining lawman’s badge” – his job is not to make the law but to uphold the law.

John Fitzgerald emailed to point out that on page 160, I have phrased something imprecisely: it sounds as if I … Read more