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Drug Story

Drug Story

By: Thomas Goetz
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 Every episode of Drug Story uses one prescription drug to tell surprising, true tales about the business of disease and health. Hosted by award-winning science journalist Thomas Goetz, MPH, this podcast asks the big question: What happens when we use drugs to fix our big problems?

www.drugstory.coThomas Goetz
Episodes
  • On fluoride and tooth decay

    On fluoride and tooth decay
    Mar 31 2026
    You may not think of fluoride as a drug, but it fits the bill: The FDA classifies fluoride as a drug, an essential nutrient to human health, and regulates its use. So yeah. It’s a drug.Fluoride used to be boring. 75% of US water is fluoridated, and it has greatly reduced the rate of tooth decay in this country and worldwide. Fluoridation has been among the biggest success stories in medical history.But like a lot of medicine these days, fluoride is suddenly controversial. Again. Here and there, governments - the whole state of Utah, towns all over Florida - have removed fluoride from water. And predictably, the rate of tooth decay in children soars afterwards.Still fluoride is also a riddle. Because while the US has had a lot of success with fluoride, most countries do NOT add it to their water - and many non-fluoridated countries have much the same rate of tooth decay as the US. Is fluoride toothpaste enough?What is going on with fluoride?!4 out of 5 dentists recommend you listen to this episode!Sources for this episode [1] Dentition of a Mesolithic Population (1967) American Journal of Physical Anthropology: Pre-industrial populations experienced significantly lower rates of dental caries, demonstrating the impact of modern diet and environment on oral disease.[2] Toothache (1994) Poetry Foundation: William Greenway: William Greenway’s visceral portrayal of dental pain.[3] A Colorado Story (2015) Colorado Dental Association: Naturally fluoridated water was definitively linked to reduced tooth decay, establishing the scientific basis for fluoridation policy.[4] The Story of Fluoridation (2024) National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research: Fluoridation emerged from observed natural fluoride exposure and was adopted as a nationwide preventive health strategy.[5] Pipe Dreams: America’s Fluoride Controversy (2011) Science History Institute Museum & Library: Water fluoridation sparked decades of political and scientific conflict, becoming one of the most contested public health interventions in U.S. history.[6] Big Hopes for Little Teeth (2024) National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research: Fluoridation significantly reduced childhood tooth decay and became a foundational population-level prevention strategy.[7] Community Water Fluoridation in Focus: A Comprehensive Look at Fluoridation Levels across America (2023) International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health: Access to fluoridated water varies widely across the U.S., reinforcing geographic and socioeconomic disparities in preventive oral health.[8] Water fluoridation less effective now than in past (2024) Cochrane: Fluoridation still reduces cavities, but the magnitude of benefit is smaller than in the mid-20th century.[9] Water fluoridation for the prevention of dental caries (2024) Cochrane Library: Fluoridation consistently lowers rates of tooth decay across populations, though evidence quality and modern applicability vary.[10] Research review contends fluoride in water is less effective than in 1970s (2024) American Dental Association: The marginal benefit of water fluoridation has decreased due to widespread fluoride exposure from toothpaste and other sources.[11] Out of Pocket: A Snapshot of Adults’ Dental and Medical Care Coverage (n.d.) CareQuest Institute: Lack of dental coverage forces many adults to delay or forgo care, increasing reliance on low-cost public health interventions like fluoridation.[12] Health Disparities in Oral Health (2024) CDC: Oral health outcomes are consistently worse for low-income and minority populations due to structural barriers and uneven access to prevention.[13] Two Cities Fluoride Removal Evidence (2025) Science News: Discontinuing fluoridation results in measurable declines in dental health outcomes.[14] What happened when Juneau took fluoride out of the drinking water? (2019) University of Alaska Anchorage: Removing fluoridation leads to increased tooth decay and higher rates of dental procedures, especially in children.[15] The Fluoride Wars Rage On (2021) nature: Fluoridation remains politically and culturally polarizing despite decades of scientific support. Get full access to Drug Story at www.drugstory.co/subscribe
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    50 mins
  • On ivermectin and parasites (and other things)

    On ivermectin and parasites (and other things)
    Mar 24 2026
    This episode is all about ivermectin - which truly is a wonder drug! A veritable miracle cure.For, ahem, river blindness. And for some other parasitic diseases, like hookworm. Mostly in animals.But in the US, you have likely heard of ivermectin not as a treatment for parasites but for different purposes altogether. There are thousands of videos on YouTube and Instagram extolling ivermectin for viral diseases like Covid, various cancers, and for something called a “parasitic detox,” or a “parasitic cleanse.”Really? This one drug does all that?No. It does not.In this episode of Drug Story, we tell the tale of ivermectin, and what gets all those people on TikTok raving about this drug - what they hope it could be, what they believe it works on.And then, with an open mind, we go to the science – to tease apart the true miracles from the mere fantasies.Source for this episode:[1] Dirt Eaters (2006) NCpedia: Hookworm spreads through skin contact with contaminated soil, with infection linked to poor sanitation and barefoot exposure.[2] What Would It Take to Describe the Global Diversity of Parasites? (2020) Proceedings B (Royal Society): Discussion of parasite diversity and implications for global health.[3] Charles Wardell Stiles (n.d.) The Online Collection and Catalog of Rockefeller Archive Center: Stiles identified hookworm as a widespread cause of disease in the American South and helped initiate national eradication efforts.[4] The Great Hookworm Crusade (1978) Facing South: Exploration of early 20th-century public health campaigns targeting hookworm.[5] The Germ of Laziness: Rockefeller Philanthropy and Public Health in the New South (2007): Analysis of the Rockefeller Sanitary Commission’s hookworm eradication campaign and its role in shaping public health systems.[6] How a Worm Gave the South a Bad Name (2016) NOVA (PBS): Hookworm caused anemia, fatigue, and cognitive impairment, contributing to stereotypes of laziness in the American South[7] Lessons Learned (2016) Vanderbilt University: Hookworm campaigns demonstrated the importance of sanitation, education, and coordinated public health infrastructure.[8] Public Health: How the Fight Against Hookworm Helped Build a System (2020) REsource: Early hookworm eradication efforts contributed to the formation of organized public health systems in the U.S.[8] Dr. Abbott Assails “Freedom” League (1910) The New York Times: Physicians publicly criticized groups opposing national health initiatives during early 20th-century reforms.[10] America’s Deadly Flirtation with Antiscience and the Medical Freedom Movement (2021) Journal of Clinical Investigation: Historical medical freedom movements mirror modern resistance to public health guidance.[11] The Hookworm Blues: We Still Got ’Em (2017) American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene: Hookworm infection remains present in parts of the U.S., particularly in areas with inadequate sanitation and persistent poverty.[12] The American Murderer (2023) Bunk History: Hookworm campaigns in the U.S. South prioritized poor white populations to address labor productivity and regional stigma, while excluding Black communities from interventions.[13] The Debate Is On: To Deworm Or Not To Deworm? (2015) NPR Goats and Soda: Mass deworming programs reduce worm infections and may improve school attendance, though evidence on long-term health and economic benefits remains debated.[14] Hookworm Persists in U.S. Despite Belief That It Was Wiped Out (2017) NPR: Ongoing hookworm cases in Alabama are linked to failing wastewater systems and persistent poverty.[15] Nobel laureate William Campbell describes developing a new drug to Cornell audience (2016) Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine: Overview of the discovery of ivermectin and its development as a breakthrough antiparasitic drug.[16] Progress and Impact of 13 Years of the Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (2014) PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases: Mass drug administration programs using ivermectin significantly reduced transmission of filarial diseases worldwide.[17] The Discovery of Ivermectin: A Crapshoot or Not (2007) Cambridge University Press: Ivermectin originated from screening soil microbes, with discovery driven by trial-and-error experimentation.[18] The Life and Times of Ivermectin — A Success Story (2004) Nature Reviews Microbiology: Ivermectin disrupts parasite nerve and muscle function, supporting mass drug administration campaigns that significantly reduced global parasitic disease burden.[19] Two Elite Medical Journals Retract Coronavirus Papers (2020) Science: Retractions of major COVID-19 studies exposed weaknesses in peer review and data verification.[20] Medical Liberty and Drugless Healers Confront Allopathic Doctors (1910–1931) (2008) Journal of Medical Humanities: Early 20th-century conflicts between alternative practitioners and mainstream medicine centered on regulation and authority.[21] ...
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    48 mins
  • On patent medicines (with Tim Harford)

    On patent medicines (with Tim Harford)
    Mar 17 2026

    Today we’re sharing an episode of Cautionary Tales, by Tim Harford.

    This show concerns Lydia Pinkham’s Vegetable Compound - one of the most popular patent medicines of the late 19th century. Mrs. Pinkham’s compound was sold as a “women’s tonic,” ideal for menopause or menstrual pain. The package promised big: "It cures bloating, headaches, nervous prostration, general debility, sleeplessness, depression, and indigestion.”

    But did it, really? No, it did not. Lydia Pinkham’s compound was the epitome of a cure-all that cured nothing, a secret concoction of herbs and roots and other ambiguous ingredients that promised tremendous benefits without any evidence whatsoever.

    Eventually, it was outrage over patent medicines like Mrs. Pinkham’s that turned into the creation of the FDA, and the evidence-based medicine we have today.

    Back next week with a new episode of DRUG STORY!



    Get full access to Drug Story at www.drugstory.co/subscribe
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    39 mins
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