DRUGS TRADE - THE NATURE OF ADDICTION

Addicts In Many Countries Are Given Methadone

Robert was addicted to heroin for 16 years.

In a spiral of decline he lost his wife, his children, his job and his
self esteem.

He would wake up feeling sick and spend the day stealing and begging
for money to support his habit.

He'd started taking the drug because it gave him pleasure - he'd get a
tremendous high, an amazing rush and an escape from the world around
him.

Like many users he thought he was in control - until finally he was
forced to accept he was addicted.

Brain reward

No-one sets out to be an addict - to be dependent on a particular
drug.

Unfortunately with many substances the process is inevitable, and it's
only recently scientists have started to understand what's going on
when a drug user becomes hooked.

Clare Stamford of University College London, who studies the
biochemical process of addiction, says: "People continue to take drugs
because they like what the drugs do and want to keep on taking more.

"Unfortunately, people keep taking drugs because if they don't, they
get plummeted into a withdrawal syndrome which can be uncomfortable
and life threatening."

Drugs like morphine and heroin work by entering a "reward system" in
the brain.

They attach themselves to custom-built receptors into which the drug
molecules fit like a key into a lock.

Vulnerability

Dr David Best from the UK's National Addiction Centre explains:
"People experience an hedonic rush but over a period of time the brain
develops a tolerance to the drug, it demands it more and more."

The quicker the effect of a drug wears off, the more addictive it
tends to be.

But the issue of drug addiction goes far deeper than just a
biochemical process in the brain, says Adam Winstock, a lecturer in
Clinical psychology at Kings College London.

"It has its roots in both the biology of the individual, how
susceptible they are to addiction, but also in the environment they
live in.

"Dependency is always going to be an interaction of opportunity and
vulnerability."

Take Carol, for example, a member of Narcotics Anonymous in Nairobi,
who started taking heroin when she was at college.

She was away from home, lonely and vulnerable. Her friends took
heroin, she soon started enjoying it, then she found she couldn't stop.

Addictive personalities

Modern treatments for addiction don't just involve telling people to
stop.

In many countries heroin addicts are given the drug methadone as a
replacement.

In theory users gradually reduce the dose until they're no longer
addicted to anything, but many remain on methadone, replacing one
addictive drug with another - albeit a legally controlled one.

Dr David Best says: "If we could successfully re-house people in a
distant community with a job and a successful relationship then we'd
be pretty confident of them staying off drugs."

However, it's a sad fact that with even the most effective and
enlightened drugs policy, many people slide back into drug use.

There's evidence to suggest that some people have an "addictive
personality" and they just can't stop - the same people might become
addicted to chocolate or sex.

There are success stories and even if someone can't give up
completely, by being able to seek treatment they're at least regaining
some self esteem and an alternative to spending the day trying to get
the money for the next quick fix.