Addiction is not a disease
BY spectator events
Details:
November 21, 2013
6:45 pm
The Royal Institution, 21 Albemarle St, London W1S 4BS
speakers:
Andrew Neil, chairman, The Spectator Magazine Group
Dr Aric Sigman, For the motion,chartered biologist, chartered psychologist and associate fellow, British Psychological Society
Damian Thompson, For the motion, editor, Telegraph blogs and reformed alcoholic
Theodore Dalrymple, For the motion, writer, former prison Doctor and psychiatrist
Dominic Ruffy, Against the motion, resilience programmes manager, Amy Winehouse Foundation Programme
Trinny Woodall, Against the motion, television presenter and author
Vik Watts, Against the motion, lead consultant, addiction treatment and consultant psychiatrist, The Priory
Description:
The audience voted in favour of the motion 165:77.
Is addiction really a disease, or is it simply a behaviour that we need to find a way of modifying? Some argue that addiction has a biological basis; others are convinced that fighting addiction is just a matter of sheer willpower.
