Addiction and autonomy: can addicted people consent to the prescription of their drug of addiction?

Journal article

It is often claimed that the autonomy of heroin addicts is compromised when they are choosing between taking their drug of addiction and abstaining. This is the basis of claims that they are incompetent to give consent to be prescribed heroin. We reject these claims on a number of empirical and theoretical grounds. First we argue that addicts are likely to be sober, and thus capable of rational thought, when approaching researchers to participate in research. We reject behavioural evidence pu...

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Authors: Foddy, B; Savulescu, J

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: Bioethics
• Volume: 20
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 1-15
• Publication date: 2006-02-01
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8519.2006.00470.x
• EISSN: 1467-8519
• ISSN: 0269-9702
• Language: English
• Keywords: Paternalism; Clinical Trials as Topic; Humans; Mental Competency; Heroin Dependence; Heroin; Motivation; Research Subjects; Informed Consent; Ethical Analysis; Coercion; Compulsive Behavior