Drug wonders.

• Author: Tauber, Chris
• Position: Science

Is Accutane a miracle or a menace? The debate over the acne medicine's psychological effects made headlines when a Florida teen crashed his plane into an office tower last month. He had a prescription for Accutane, but it wasn't in his system when he died.

Accutane's link to depression and suicide is in dispute. Of the 5 million who have used Accutane since its introduction in 1982, the Food and Drug Administration reported 37 suicides. While well below the...