Addictive Behaviour: Molecules to Mankind Perspectives on the Nature
In this health-conscious age there is increasing concern about tobacco smoking and inappropriate consumption levels of alcohol. Alcoholism poses an important occupational health problem which can affect an individual's personal welfare and limit his or he
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Addictive Behaviour: Molecules to Mankind Perspectives on the Nature of Addiction Edited by
Adrian Bonner
Director Addictive Behaviour Centre Roehampton Institute London
and
James Waterhouse
Senior Research Fellow School of Biological Sciences University of Manchester and Lecturer in Physiology School of Human Biology
Foreword by Timothy J. Peters
First published in Great Britain 1996 by
MACMILLAN PRESS LTD
Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS and London Companies and representatives throughout the world A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN 978-0-333-64556-7 ISBN 978-1-349-24657-1 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-1-349-24657-1 First published in the United States of America 1996 by
ST. MARTIN'S PRESS, INC., Scholarly and Reference Division, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010 ISBN 978-0-312-16046-3
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Addictive behaviour : molecules to mankind : perspectives on the nature of addiction I edited by Adrian Bonner and James Waterhouse. p. em. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-312-16046-3 (cloth) I. Substance abuse. I. Bonner, Adrian. II. Waterhouse, J. M. (James M.) RC564.A3235 19% 616.86-10. If all those individuals arrested for alcohol offences or being incapable through alcohol, those with self-admitted prior or current alcohol problems, and those who exceed 'safe' weekly alcohol intakes, are considered together, then 42 per cent (76/180) of those examined had potential or actual alcoholism or alcohol dependence.
IMPLICATIONS The fact that almost half of individuals seen in police custody by forensic physicians may be or have been at risk for alcohol misuse is alarming. These figures are considerably higher than those identified in accident and emergency departments, and considerably higher than would be expected from considering purely alcohol-related offences. It
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is apparent that the forensic physician is in a good position to elicit an appropriate alcohol history from a detainee in police custody, and at least to inform the examinee of the risks to their health and to advise them to take further advice from their own general practitioner or an appropriate counselling agency. As with drug misusers 17 many individuals have not recognised that they have a problem or have not sought help through ignorance or lack of information. Clearly, even if only a small percentage of examinees so identified subsequently seek help there are potential benefits not only to the individual themself, but also to their families, the police and judicial system. It must be hoped that in the UK the All Party Group on Alcohol Misuse recognises the potential for identification and treatment of alcohol misusers seen in police custody and identifies clear routes by which treatment or counselling of such individuals may be expedited.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am grateful to my colleagues Derek Keys, Peter Dean, Peter Jerreat and Ian Wall for their input into our research studies and to the Metropo
