Episode 5: The Addict and Addiction, from Victorian Doctors to Eugenic Psychiatrists

In this episode of our podcast series History of UK drug use: The 1950s and 1960s we examine the early medical history of the addict as an identity and addiction as a diagnosis. Demonstrating how ideas around degeneration and eugenics were influential in the early development the 'addict'. In doing so, we will also explore the origins of the liberal 'British System' of drug control and why it diverged so heavily from the USA's policy of criminalisation.

An annotated script for this episode can be found here.

A full list of my sources is available here.

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