THE ETHICS OF ADDICTION

Toronto -- I must disagree with Louis Charland's view that heroin addicts
cannot give voluntary consent to participate in research where they are
given heroin free of charge (Heroin Study Violates Ethics, Academic Says --
Sept. 16). If a heroin addict intends to maintain his or her addiction,
then such consent is certainly voluntary.

Prof. Charland evidently confuses voluntary consent with the quite
different notion of having the willpower to refuse consent. But in fact if
someone prefers to do what he can do rather than what he cannot do, then
doing what he prefers is voluntary, though he may be said to lack the power
or freedom to choose otherwise. It is also obvious that a heroin addict's
consent is competent and informed, since he or she knows exactly what
taking heroin involves.

Mark Thotnton, Professor Emeritus, University of Toronto