Alcoholism & Drug Addiction

Graham Chapman came out while working on the sketch comedy show Monty Python's Flying Circus. He discusses his activism to support gay rights, as well as the many times the television program lampooned conventional masculinity.

Scandals involving Robert Bauman's alcoholism and soliciting of an underage male prostitute heralded the end of this career as a Maryland congressman. He writes about the experience and how he came to peace with his identity in his new book, The Gentleman from Maryland.

John Phillips, who led The Mamas and the Papas, has a new autobiography, which details the tensions, drug use, and affairs that ultimately led to the band's demise.

In addition to writing music, Ned Rorem publishes his diaries, in which he muses on the creative process, his views on art, and his personal relationships. His newest collection is called Setting the Tone.

Billy Hayes' years spent in a Turkish prison for smuggling hashish have been well documented in his book Midnight Express, which was later adapted into a book. He now pursues an acting career in California.

Gregory uses his celebrity platform to raise awareness for a number of different issues, including alcoholism, the policies of the Reagan administration, and the the state of the black community today. He is currently on a hunger strike in solidarity with women in support of the Equal Rights Amendment.

Two experts on drug trafficking tell Fresh Air's Terry Gross about the difficulties of curtailing the production and sale of illicit drugs that originate outside the U.S. They debate whether or not American support of Burma's ethnic minorities could help reduce opium production.

Anthropologist and filmmaker David Feingold returns to Fresh Air to talk about the opium trade originating in the Shan States of Burma. He explains how government action both locally and taken by the United States have proven ineffective in curtailing drug traffic.

Michael Harrington is the Chair of the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee (DSOC), the "left" portion of the Democratic Party. The group's goals include national healthcare, full employment, and more control of corporate policies. Harrington has been an activist his entire career, and his book "The Other America," was essential in pushing Presidents Kennedy and Johnson in creating anti-poverty agendas. His new book is "Decade of Decision."

A panel of experts join Terry Gross to talk about the opium trade, the treatment of opiate addicts in Britain, and the often racist origins of drug laws in the United States.

Red Rodney honed his skills as a trumpet player in Philadelphia. Later, he joined Charlie Parker's band. He tells Fresh Air host Terry Gross about kicking his heroin habit and the kinds of jobs he takes to make a career in music.

Jazz bassist and psychotherapist David Izenzon returns to Fresh Air to talk about his group Pot Smokers Anonymous, which supports people who abuse marijuana. Terry Gross invites listeners to call in to share their own experiences.

Terry Gross interviews three Philadelphia-area bartenders about their experiences.

Bassist David Izenzon earned a doctorate later in life and became a practicing psychotherapist. He discusses his jazz career and how he began to help musicians reduce their use of marijuana.