Gideon Lasco is an anthropologist and a physician based in Manila, the Philippines. He obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Amsterdam and his M.D. from the University of the Philippines, where he is currently a professor of anthropology. His research includes the chemical practices of young people, the meanings of human height, and the lived realities of the Philippine “drug war.” Lasco has a weekly column in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, where he writes about health, culture, and society. Follow him on Twitter @gideonlasco.
In many parts of the world, people who take illegal substances are punished with harsh prison sentences or executions that are unjustified. Behind this treatment lie prejudices that have a surprising history.
A desire for lighter skin tones is deeply entrenched in many parts of the world, but it comes with equally deep risks to health and society.