For many individuals in recovery from alcohol and substance addiction, and their families, one of the most pressing questions is: How long is drug rehab? The truth is, there is no definitive answer.

Since the 1970s, countless experts and the US government have sold the public a simple explanation for drug addiction, now clinically called substance abuse disorder: the myth of the gateway drug.

GLP-1 meds include Ozempic and Wegovy, which studies show could help reduce alcohol cravings and drug dependency.

How political red tape and a drug company’s thirst for profits limited the reach of a drug that experts believe could have reduced the opioid epidemic’s toll. Credit...Photo illustration by Ben Denzer ...

First is the potential for harm. People using opioids, like fentanyl or oxycodone, lose tolerance for these drugs when forced ...