Treating addiction ...

This is a really helpful article/comment piece which says things we probably ought to reflect on more, especially the way that ideological concerns are working in the national debate. There's an implicit plea for evidence-based policy and some shrewd comments on addiction carrying weight because they're made by a former addict.

"many addicts aren't interested in treatment because they don't believe there's anything wrong with them. As with other kinds of mental illness, it's very difficult to make much progress without the cooperation of the patient. So while it is vital to provide treatment facilities for addicts who want them, it is equally vital to find ways of reducing the harm that addiction does to those who don't. Some of these facilities, such as needle exchanges, are quite common, and have proved effective in limiting the spread of HIV amongst users. More controversial are trials of prescribing heroin to dependant users for use under medical supervision. In Switzerland a similar experiment proved so successful in cutting health risks and crime that it is now part of the healthcare system there. So what I'm hoping for in 2008 is a strategy based on research, education and harm reduction. Some evidence suggests that the proportion of people who may be at serious risk of becoming dependant could be as high as one in six. If so, taking drugs is really like playing Russian roulette. Most people will get away with it, but for some it will mean their death. And just like Russian roulette, you won't know which group you're in until it's too late."

Guardian Unlimited | Comment is free | All the billions spent to curb drug use have been in vain: