4. Addiction - physical or psychological?

Professor David Nutt sits down with Mark Johnson and Ian Miller to

discuss the science, and challenge the concept, of addiction.

• Why do some people become ‘addicted’ to drugs and others do not?

• Is addiction physical or psychological?

• Should drug and alcohol services focus on the drug or the individual?

• How do we as a society treat the cause of addiction?

To answer these questions, Professor Nutt and his guests examine; the Portuguese model, talking to teenagers about drug use, the use of drugs within prisons and the revolving door that this creates.

Mark Johnson is the author of the book ‘Wasted’ and founder of ‘User Voice’. At the beginning of the 21st century, Mark spiralled into addiction and homelessness. He used drugs to replace the lack of love and support he had been deprived of as a child. Now, he is 19 years clean and tackling his addiction head-on.

Conversely, Ian Miller has used drugs all of his adult life but has not developed a dependency. As a rebel in his teens, he used drugs out of curiosity, not as a coping mechanism.

Drug Science is the leading independent scientific body on drugs in the UK. We work to provide clear, evidence-based information without political or commercial interference.

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