ABSTRACT
It is virtually impossible to open a newspaper these days without finding an article about addiction. Almost invariably, we are told that the addiction is increasing, that it is affecting younger people, and that there are conflicting views about how to treat it. New forms of addiction are frequently diagnosed. Addictions are not only a private matter; partners and children are affected. Addictions may affect public spaces and government policies. Crowds of young drinkers, for example, have had a major impact on our city centres; drug-taking equipment litters the stairwells of inner-city flats. Currently there are initiatives to raise the price of alcohol in the UK in order to deter consumption.
