Historian and author David T. Courtwright joins Kevin Sabet on High Stakes to discuss the history of addiction, how bad habits became big business, and his concept of “limbic capitalism,\" a system in which companies profit by targeting the brain’s pathways for pleasure, motivation, and memory.
Dr. Kevin Sabet sits down with David T. Courtwright, author of *The Age of Addiction: How Bad Habits Became Big Business*, to explore the relationship between commercial interests and addictive behavior. At the center of the conversation is Courtwright’s concept of limbic capitalism and how it helps explain the business of encouraging habitual consumption. Drawing on his research into the history of drugs and addiction, the discussion examines how the pursuit of pleasure became a global commercial enterprise, connecting the history of intoxicating substances with the broader world of gambling, compulsive shopping, and digital entertainment. His work provides a historical framework for understanding how businesses have both responded to and cultivated consumer desires and why those forces matter for conversations about addiction today.
MORE ABOUT DAVID: David T. Courtwright is Presidential Professor Emeritus at the University of North Florida and a historian specializing in drugs and addiction. He has taught medical, U.S., and world history, and his broader research interests include violence, political and policy history, aviation, and frontier environments. His books include The Age of Addiction: How Bad Habits Became Big Business which examines the global rise of limbic capitalism.
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High Stakes with Kevin Sabet is a production of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) and Foundation for Drug Policy Solutions (FDPS). The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of SAM or its affiliates. This podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes.
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