Nothing Like the First Time

In researching our forthcoming Wired piece on drug and alcohol abuse, we've found ourselves keenly interested in the tales that addicts tell about their first inebriatory experiences. One common thread we've found is a sense that the first drink or dose provided something that the person had always been searching for—the intoxicant made them whole, in an odd way. And though it is certainly a cliché, these afflicted souls can spend lifetimes trying to recapture that sensation of wholeness.

The ...