The Drug Issue

As we sat down via FaceTime to develop our fall action project this summer, we knew we wanted to explore a topic with vast implications in the campus community. We reflected on past issues — “the Disability Issue,” “the Identity Issue” and “Evolving Education.” Our minds went in circles. 

We settled on drugs. 

A broad, umbrella term encompassing any substance causing a change in the body or mind, ranging from a six-pack of Spotted Cows to protein powder to magic mushrooms, to name a few.

It’s hard not to see how drugs impact the day-to-day lives of Wisconsinites. From an infamous drinking culture to novel research about the use of psychedelics for medical treatment, there are a plethora of different stories to be told and voices to be heard across our state. 

We wanted to talk about it — the good, the bad and the ugly. 

And our staff did just that. Cardinal editors, reporters, photographers and artists took an in-depth look at the vast topic that is drugs and drug use, offering nuanced and timely coverage of the stigmatized subject. 

Ultimately, “The Drug Issue” seeks to inform the University of Wisconsin-Madison and greater Madison community of the breadth of substance use as well as its impact at a campus, county, city and state level. We hope Cardinal readers learn something new about the role of drugs in their everyday lives, embracing their use while also reckoning with the effects some substances have on the lives of hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites. 

With this project, we invite our readers to scrutinize “The Drug Issue.”

The Daily Cardinal Management Team

Sophia Vento, Editor-in-Chief

Jessica Sonkin, Managing Editor