Heroin addiction: the clinic system, John Marks and a timeless classic
ISSN: 1745-9265
Article publication date: 11 December 2020
Issue publication date: 11 December 2020
Abstract
Purpose
This extended review of Stimson and Oppenheimer’s classic book Heroin Addiction aims to highlight its contribution to the literature and consider its contemporary relevance for research, policy and practice.
Design/methodology/approach
The review examines the core themes of the longitudinal study that the book presents by bringing it in to dialogue with a recent “living history” project on John Marks’ radical heroin prescribing in the 1980s and 1990s.
Findings
The three core themes explored are treatment as containment; the balance between therapy and social control; and the benefits of heroin versus methadone.
Originality/value
The book is a “timeless classic” that still resonates with contemporary concerns and has much to tell us about heroin addiction and its treatment.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Thanks to John Marks, Russell New combe and Gerry Stimson for reading and commenting on a draft of this article. The usual disclaimer applies.
Citation
Seddon, T. (2020), "Heroin addiction: the clinic system, John Marks and a timeless classic", Drugs and Alcohol Today, Vol. 20 No. 4, pp. 307-311. https://doi.org/10.1108/DAT-07-2020-0046
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited