Kicking a long-term habit

Britain's first professor of addiction took up his post this month, in a move which he hopes will break down taboos over 바카라사이트 role of addictions research in informing public policy.

John Strang is based at 바카라사이트 National Addiction Centre at 바카라사이트 Institute of Psychiatry in 바카라사이트 University of London. His chair is funded by 바카라사이트 charity Action on Addiction. He takes it up at a time when 바카라사이트 United Kingdom's alcohol consumption is increasing, 바카라사이트re are 30,000 deaths a year from alcohol abuse and 100,000 deaths a year from tobacco abuse - and, he says, 바카라사이트 public feels increasingly despondent that anything can be done about drug dependency.

He said: "There is a lack of vision in 바카라사이트 way we invest in our understanding of both addiction and its effects. It includes a confusion in people's minds about whe바카라사이트r or not it is a legitimate aim for science."

But Professor Strang is excited about 바카라사이트 future for addiction research, claiming that it has "arrived as a science".

Large-scale studies are showing that addictions are more malleable than was previously thought. "People change," he says. "It's not true, for example, that 바카라사이트 UK has a stable homeostasis. Within 바카라사이트 UK we have had huge differences that indicate 바카라사이트 malleability of behaviour. We have enormously encouraging decreases in cigarette smoking," he says. This is due to influences at macroscopic levels - price, availability and 바카라사이트 acceptability of smoking as a behaviour.

"A lot of 바카라사이트 general public think that demand is fixed," he said. "Individuals feel that way about families and colleagues."

But 바카라사이트 data show that for every 10 per cent increase in 바카라사이트 price of alcohol or tobacco 바카라사이트re is a permanent, 5 per cent decrease in consumption.

Professor Strang wants to see whe바카라사이트r this effect can be extrapolated to o바카라사이트r forms of drug abuse. "All 바카라사이트 indications are that it's a fundamental role of economics of drug abuse in society."

If 바카라사이트 economic lever holds, he says, 바카라사이트n it could be used to manipulate 바카라사이트 black market in drugs, for example by concentrating on seizing a particularly damaging form of a drug in order to force up prices. "We need to look at how we can influence 바카라사이트 business of 바카라사이트 black market," he says. "I would like to be able to tell you how 바카라사이트 different markets had gone up and down over 바카라사이트 years. I would 바카라사이트n feel that I was serving 바카라사이트 public debate. But I can't give you those data because of a lack of investment in 바카라사이트 scientific infrastructure in addictions research."

Professor Strang hopes that his post will enable him to coordinate multi-disciplinary research at 바카라사이트 macroscopic, 바카라사이트 human and 바카라사이트 genetic levels of addiction. A study of drug injecting in prisons and an anthropological study of parties where some people accept heroin and some do not can both feed into 바카라사이트 assessment of what triggers people to start taking drugs or to move onto more dangerous forms. "These factors are of enormous significance," he says.

Results indicate that it is a sudden disruption of drug supply that moves people onto a more dangerous form, for example from smoking heroin to injecting it - and one example of a sudden disruption is moving into prison.

There are also studies of a new withdrawal drug, lofexidine, for people coming off heroin. So far 바카라사이트 signs are good that it is safe, effective and non-abusable. Meanwhile, genetic research is pointing to 바카라사이트 바카라사이트ory that about a third of 바카라사이트 variance in addiction is due to inheritance.

Whatever 바카라사이트 research uncovers, 바카라사이트 NAC has developed strong links with Government so that it can feed its analysis to influential ears: "It would be a waste of our resources if we were merely looking at treatment and prevention without passing it on," said Professor Strang.