Ethical Aspects of Developments in Neuroscience and Drug Addiction

Foreseeable progress in neuroscience, specifically the study of how chemicals alter an individual's genotype and phenotype, may have a significant impact on the treatment of addiction. This chapter focuses on the ethical strands of the debate, looking tentatively at how one can manage the use of psychoactive substances in the future to best advantage for the individual, the community, and society. There is a significant potential for great social and individual benefit from developments in this area, but this needs to be evaluated alongside some potentially significant risks of harm or limitations on individual freedom that might undermine the value or acceptability of these developments. The chapter illustrates the use of both licit and illicit substances that have a potentially addictive element and some of the interventions that may become important in the treatment of such substance addiction. The chapter also gives a striking account of developments in the prevention and treatment of drug addiction such as vaccinations; the use of genetic data to predict the effects of drugs on individuals and how genetics may predispose one to addiction; the use of neural imaging to identify past, present, and potential addicts; and the consequences of the use of medicinal drugs for nonmedical reasons such as cognitive enhancement.