Addiction Definitions Flashcards
General Definition
Models of Addiciton: EMCDDA 2013, p.11)
- “involves repeated powerful motivation to engage in an activity”
- “it [addiction] is acquired through engaging in the activity”
- “there is significant potential for unintended harm” (K’s emphasis)
- “not limited to substance use or abuse”
In terms of the drug
- Psychoactive properties of ‘drugs’
- Non-human actor?
- Not only chemical, not only social
Actor network theory- Will discuss more in Week 5 on GHB
The Drug (2)
Social perceptions
- ‘Hard’ and ‘soft’? Perceived (potential for) harms to user, communities and societies
Gateway theory
- Dutch approach
- Soft drugs lead to hard drugs
- Try to separate markets
Perceived potential for ‘addiction’?
- Biomedical knowledge
- Division between physical and psychological
Historical aspects (ie. opium wars)
Media representations
- Images of ‘downward spirals’
- “This is your face on Crystal Meth”
- Moral significance, related for example to social class, ethnic and racialised background of user groups
- Example: Powder cocaine versus crack cocaine in the US
Historical View (Pre-biomedical) drug consumption
Viewed as:
(a) ‘normal’ (ie. coca leaves)
R.K. Siegal: Intoxication a universal drive
(b) a moral failing
ie. Virginia Berridge: history of mutual aid societies (cross-topic: recovery)
It’s poor people’s fault they are poor
It’s drug users’ fault they are addicted
Relates to perception to intoxication per se as immoral (nb: cross-topic: criminalisation of raves)
As power of medical profession grew, both working against and drawing on social reformers (charities, trade unions) support, the latter with religious aspects
Temperance movement, alcohol prohibition in 1930s USA
Global drug prohibition in contemporary society
Bio-medical Approach
- Frames ‘addiction’ as a disease
- Biomedical model is dominant model
- Move away from historical and/ or religious dominant view of moral failing (or not?!)
- Rise of the ‘brain disease’ model, notably in the US
- Impact on interventions (cross-topic Drugs and Crime Debate and Recovery Debate)
Example: Alcoholics Anonymous model
- Alcoholism: Addiction to alcohol is a chronic brain disease
- Once an alcoholic, always an alcohol, however many years sober
Response to criticism?
- Biosocial: genetic ‘predisposition’ combined with individual’s circumstances
- Individualised risk factors ie. educational ‘underachievement’ , being poor
- Not a sociological approach
Psychological Approach
- Biopharmacology seen as still playing role in ‘addiction’ but not only or main issue
- Problematic focus on clinical populations (as in biomedical)
- But interventions for ‘addicts’ often based on psychological research
- Motivational interviewing
- Cognitive behavioural therapy
- Individual counselling
- Peer support
- Sometimes combined with biomedical approach ie. substitution therapy - The ‘addictive personality’ theory is not based on empirical research evidence
- But a self-fulfilling prophecy?
Sociological Approach
Addiction’ as driven by structural social disadvantage
- Most heroin addicts are poor (socio-economic) - Many sex workers use drugs problematically (gender)
As driven by processes of social construction
- Both ‘drug’ and ‘addiction’ are socially constructed categories
As driven by process of power/knowledge production
- Relates to production of knowledge about ‘dangerous classes’ (ie. young people, poor people, BME populations, immigrants)
Cross topic: Drugs and Crime Debate and the Subcultural Debate
Important factors about addiction debate
Typologies - recreational or problematic?
Free will versus enslavement
Medical/Public Health responses versus Criminal Justice Responses
Medical Issue - Treated for the ‘disease’
Criminal Issue - Punishment
Drugs as ‘Non-Human Actors’
- Not all drugs are addictive
- Is sex, gambling etc an addiction?
